From Inmates to Playdates

Posts Tagged ‘Lists’

1.   A brand spakin new bottle of my sweet smelling perfume – Romance – by Ralph Lauren
2.  Nike Shox – My favorite tennis shoes are open-mesh which is not real conducive to the harsh winter we experience here in the mountains of WV, so I needed a pair I could wear during the Winter months.
3.  BLING! -  No Christmas is complete without bling
4.  David Archuleta CD
5.  Blake Lewis CD  (Did I mentioned I love American Idol?)
6.  A new pack of Sharpies (Goofy, I know… but I use them daily for stuff).
7.  A iTunes Gift Card – yee-haw… new songs for my 2009 debut at the Y.
8.  New set of knives (You know you are getting old when you ask for knives for Christmas).
9.  A bigger and better crock pot ( See Number 8 )
10.  Some fabulous Tommy Hilfiger black boots
11.  A cute ‘MOM’ bracelet that my sweet boy picked out on his own at Santa’s workshop.
12.  A surprise visit from my sweet aunt, June from California and her new husband, Dave and his family. We had a marvelous time visiting with them.
13.  Fatter – I ate way more than I should and will be paying for it for months at the Y.

I am writing on the very rare chance that someone is out there reading my ramblings on Christmas Eve.

Actually, I am waiting to play Santa and thought I’d update you, my loyal blog fans on my Christmas Eve activities.

So far today, I have…..

• Took a bath
• Cleaned the toilet
• Made pancakes for my fellas for breakfast
• Emptied the dishwasher
• Filled the dishwasher
• Replaced all neice and nephew ornaments with current pictures
• Put my boy’s picture with Santa in a frame
• Fixed my hair
• Ran the vacuum
• Enjoyed dinner with my parents
• Fussed at Stevie for bouncing into the Christmas tree on that dumb bouncy ball
• Ate more chocolate than I should have
• Said “NO” to Alex about 917 times
• Made Chocolate Delite
• Read more letters from the Mother Letter Project
• Hand made more ornaments
• Checked my hotmail
• Updated my status on MySpace and Facebook respectively (because people really care about what I’m doing)
• Watched The Young and The Restless
• Spilled an entire batch of pancake mix and splattered it for miles
• Cleaned up said pancake batter throughout the day as I found more of it crusted on furniture and walls
• Enjoyed a visit from my wonderful neighbors, R & L
• Packed the boy’s clothes for Disney
• Called my sweet aunt to wish her a Happy Birthday (I got her voicemail)
• Opened a sweet Christmas card from my friend, D and her family.
• Filled stockings
• Folded 2 loads of laundry
• Talked to my cousin, Bo
• Shook some presents
• Wrapped! More! Gifts!
• Polished my toenails
• Checked the weather in Orlando (Mickey Mouse here we come!)
• Cleaned out the fridge
• Read the newspaper
• Picked up 1,882 cars throughout the day  (it may have been the same 23 cars, but I picked them up all day long)
• Gave the boys a bath
• Made cookies for Santa
• Blogged

So far today, I have not….

• Put on the first dab of make-up  (yikes!)
• stopped!

Merry Christmas Ya’ll!!!

I’m hoping Santa leaves a red DS and “his very own Leapster” for 2 sweet boys!

Thanks for reading my blog.

You Know You’re A Blogger When…..

1. You take pictures of ordinary things that most people couldn’t care less about because it will make great blog fodder.

2. You have almost wrecked your vehicle trying to retrieve a notebook from your purse to jot down the latest, greatest blog idea that just entered your mind.

3. You stay up way past your bedtime to hammer out the next post for your blog. (ahem!)

4. You ignore mounting piles of laundry, large amounts of dust and an ever growing daily docket on TiVo because you are busy blogging.

5.  You view every outing as tomorow’s blog idea.

6.  You add your blog site to your signature in cards, e-mails and utility bills.  (oh, I kid!)

7.  Your normal daily activities become tomorrow’s Thursday 13 list.

8.  You begin to wonder what various objects like your iPod, your van and your child’s backpack would think about if they had a brain and then you blog about it.

9.  You find yourself e-mailing companies (Saturn), for free stuff to give away on your blog. (Sorry saps!)

10.  Your husband has preceded a conversation with….. I’d rather you not blog about this…..

11.  You edit a post 114 times after it has been published.

12. You have contacted family members asking permission to show their pictures on your blog.

13.  You carry a camera because you just never know when you will need photographic proof of a good story.

14.  Heavy traffic makes you happy.

15.  You check your hotmail 27 times each day to moderate new comments (hint. hint.)

16. You visit Google Thesaurus during the writing of a post because you don’t want to be viewed as a goof ball when you use a word improperly.  (yes, it happens)

17.  You start a list and decide you can’t end it on  Number 17.

18.  You keep a close eye on your word count so that you don’t appear too chatty. (ha!)

19.  When you precede a comment with “I’m a blogger, and……”

20.  You can identify the flags from foreign nations because of the neocounter on your blog.

I think I may have set some sort of record today.

I shopped for 8 hours. 

With my 2 kids.

My mom.

And a van-load of patience.

Because of that, I am pooped!

I saw this meme over at Faith’s blog and decided to play along even though she didn’t tag me. I was out all day, so she probably had trouble finding me. Anyway, here goes.

8 THINGS MEME

8 Shows I watch:

Only 8…. I’ll do my best.

1. The Young and The Restless
2. The Bold and the Beautiful (darn those cross-overs)
3. Big Brother
4. American Idol (Coming Soon) 
5.  The View
6. Desperate Housewives
7. Criminal Minds
8. Dancing With The Stars

8 Favorite Restaurants:

1. Outback Steakhouse
2. Longhorn
3. Olive Garden
4. Famous Dave’s Barbecue 
5.  Top Spot (Local Hot Spot)
6.  Lonestar
7. Logan’s
8.  Rio Grande (Local Mexican Place)

8 Things that Happened to Me Today

1.  I got honked at for being in the wrong lane.
2. I shopped for 8 hours with my mom and boys.
3.  I ate Chinese for lunch – yummy
4.  I got my first blog award
5. I bought a new fossil watch with birthday money from the inlaws to replace the one that was stolen from me at the Y.
6. I drank 3 Dr. Peppers (naughty girl)
7. I went back to sleep after McDaddy took Stevie to school – yay! for the extra hour.
8.  I wrapped presents.

8 Things I Look Forward to:

1.  My boys enjoying Christmas morning.
2.  Christmas breakfast
3.  Our trip to Florida the day after Christmas.
4.  Spending Christmas with my family.
5.  Our annual family ski trip next month. 
6.  Playing Santa
7.  August, 2009
8.  My warm bed that will welcome me in about 3 minutes.

8 Things I Wish For:

1.  I wish for it to be over.
2.  The end of pull-ups!
3.  For God to keep McDaddy safe during it.
4.  My family to be saved.
5.  For my kids to not have to go through it.
6.  For God to be at the center of my life at all times.
7.  A Saturn Sky
8.  Many more healthy years for my parents.

I am not tagging anyone, but invite you to play along!

For the past two weeks, I have been busy whooping it up with my dear, sweet aunt from California and McDaddy’s sister and her family. So busy in fact that the McResidence has been neglected.

Neglected to a point that if I don’t do laundry right!now!  then certain members of this house will be without underwear tomorrow. So, I threw some laundry in and am hoping to crank out this post before the buzzer sounds.

I thought I’d share a few things I’ve learned the past two weeks, because you know, what’s knowledge if you don’t share it.

Right?

Right.

1. If a school bus full of kids is dropped off at the McDonald’s play-park, it is possible for one to be in such a hurry to getoutofdodge that she forgets to put shoes on her children before rushing them out of the restaurant.

2. If the sister-in-law of the gal forgetting her kid’s shoes notices the children without shoes, it is possible she will laugh herself silly.

3. Fazoli’s should change their slogan “Real Italian, Real Fast” to “Real Italian, in just under 17 minutes”

4. Ordering a 50-inch TV can bring a smile to one’s face even if it hasn’t arrived yet.

5. A rotating Christmas tree stand does indeed have a weight limit.

6. One’s looming 35th birthday will have said one debating with one’s self about excessive wrinkles.

7.  Taking Sudafed before bed works wonders in fending off the evil forces of a head cold. Unfortunately it also fends off sleep.

8. Losing 23 pounds will cause your shoes to fit differently (odd, but true).

9. If a neighborhood dog poops at the top of your driveway and you run over it, within hours your garage will also smell of poop, causing people who do not own guns to wish they did.

10. If you pile enough clothes on the cute Victorian bench in your bedroom, you will forget there is a bench there.

11. Outdoor Christmas lights can only be enjoyed when you remember to turn them on.

12. It is possible for the “1″ key on your laptop to stick without any knowledge of how or when it happened.

13. Adding 5 years to the storyline of an award winning show is likely to leave a certain viewer totally confused.

14. When you are preparing for deployment, you may find yourself crying for no.good.reason.

15. If you are a list person you may find yourself adding a point to a post just to get to a nice neat number.

There you have it.

Do have a lovely week!

It is no secret that I am addicted to a fan of reality TV.

One of my favorite shows, Dancing With The Stars ended this week. This fabulous pair took home the coveted mirror ball trophy.

Oh bloggy friends, did you see that girl dance? She was one of my clear favorites since the start of the season, although if I’m being honest, my money was on Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Misty May-Treanor. Lucky for me I don’t gamble or I would have lost my butt.

And, really losing my butt wouldn’t be such a bad thing, if it meant truly losing some of the junk in my trunk. And, oh internets, you should believe me when I say I would take the dancing world by storm.

For our ninth anniversary (2007), McDaddy purchased two tickets to attend Dancing With The Stars – The Tour. I triple loved watching the show even though McDaddy would just as soon had a tooth pulled. He scored mega-points with those tickets, proving that he’d do just about anything for love.

I watch the show each week and I dream of being a dancer. The sexy seduction of the Rumba, the fun-flirtatious moves of the cha-cha and the swinging moves of the jive. I could totally do them all. In my next life, I hope to have the coordination to pull off a fox-trot… shoot, I just like saying that.

Even though I am probably the biggest klutz you will ever meet.

Instead of dancing that night, I was perfectly content to sit in section 110 of the Bobcat Arena in Charlotte, NC with my camera in hand and my own dancing partner in the seat beside me. With excitement I watched as the dancers made their way across the floor in their bright sultry costumes. I tapped my toes to the beat of the live band which provided the only entertainment for McDaddy as he endured the two-hour show.

The cast danced to a variety of tunes ranging from Singin’ In the Rain to Save A Horse, Ride a Cowboy. That Drew Lachey was fantastic. And so was Joey Fatone. I held my breath hoping that the 2007 champion, Apollo Anton Ohno would make a surprise guest appearance.

No such luck.

I still enjoyed the show. I was impressed with the dancers, both professional and amateur. Their costumes, the live music and, the choreography came together to create a wonderful, entertaining show.

I enjoyed it so much, it inspired me to purchase this

Oh yes I did.

It’s not pretty, but I get it done.

I have added ballroom dancing to the list (yes, another list) of things I’d like to learn someday. Maybe by then, I will have found a truckload of grace and coordination. Right now, the only place I find either of those is in the big book written by the Webster fellow. I will continue to be a loyal fan of the show. When the announcer says…. dancing the foxtrot is Princess Julie and her professional partner… um, I wouldn’t expect for the professional dancers to be standing in line waiting to pick me. I would not be an easy student. I’m klutzy and uncoordinated. Still yet, I’d be a great partner who’d be more than willing to learn and a sure-bet to make the ratings soar.

Until then, I’ll dance with my own star in our bedroom to the sounds of my new-fangled clock radio belting out the sounds of Shania Twain’s – From This Moment, or maybe George Strait’s - I Cross My Heart. When I’m dancing in his arms, I’m perfectly content with my costume, the music and the choreography of my life. I’ll probably never be a star on Dancing With The Stars, but my life partner is the perfect partner for me and I’m glad he’s mine. 

I don’t typically read rag mags.

Except at the gym.

Which is pretty much three or four times per week.

I never buy them because in my opinion, the people who write for these fine publiciations are from a different planet than most of us. Who really cares that Jennifer Aniston has a baby bump, a botox bump or any other bump for that matter.

Well, apparently, there are millions.

What I did discover while skimming reading the publication from cover to cover while hanging on for dear life on the treadmill is that David Beckham is a hottie.

Yes, I said hottie.

Because he is.

I’m not sure I’ve ever looked closely at Becks until yesterday. And, I’m pretty sure I’ve never once seen him perform or play or whatever it is that he does. He was pictured with his wife, Victoria and Tom-Kat. For those of you, who like me, do not read rag mags that is the name affectionately given to Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes who by the way, are not friends with Brangelina.

What a tangled web we weave.

Whatever.

Like I said, I don’t read them.

The magazine did give me an idea though, because really, you never know where the next blog subject will come from.

I present to you Thursday Thirteen – The 2008 Hotties Edition

1. David Beckham – We’ll just kick this thing off with Becks. I could have picked any number of pictures of this cutie patootie, but this is a family, friendly blog, and I really liked this one.

2. Shemar Moore – I first noticed this hottie on my favorite soap – The Young and The Restless (Malcolm). When he left there and went to Criminal Minds (Derek Morgan), I followed him, because hello? Did you read my blog title about inmates? Me and Criminal Minds get along famously, although I rarely figure out who the unsub is until McDaddy tells me or he is revealed on the show.

3. Tim McGraw – Not only is this cat a hottie, he has a serious set of pipes. I’d just as soon listen to him as look at him.

4. Don Diamont – Oh sweet mercy, he would probably be my number one pick for this list (Brad, The Young and The Restless). He was chosen as one of People Magazine’s 50 most beautiful people in 1990 confirming what I could have told you in 1987. He is a cat daddy (that’s lingo for super fine) and while I was waiting in line for THE PRICE IS RIGHT one year, I met Don Diamont and he graciously agreed to take a picture with me and give me his autograph. He was as sweet as he is cute and I will never forget meeting him. (Don’t you love the way I just threw ‘in line for THE PRICE IS RIGHT’ one year’ right out there.)

5. Jason Taylor – Jason plays in the NFL for the Washington Redskins and it’s a pretty safe bet I would never have crossed paths with him had he not appeared on Dancing With The Stars. I think you’ll agree he belongs on this list. Oh, and he is an awesome dancer by the way.

6. Tony Parker - First off, you should totally imagine this picture without the hat. Not that its not a fabulous hat, because truth be known it probably cost more than my van, but, his almost-bald head is one of his best features. Again, I would not have typically crossed paths with Tony because he plays in the NBA for the San Antonio Spurs (if my friend Google has his facts straight), however he happens to be married to that hottie from Desperate Housewives (Eva Longoria) and the both of them just so happen to be plastered throughout the aforementioned magazine. Very cute couple. {GAG} .  =)

7. Apollo Anton Ohno – While my boy Opollo is quite different from the first 6 hotties, I think he deserves to be on this list. He is an Olympic Gold Medalist in Speed Skating as well as the last winner on Dancing With The Stars. Oh reality TV, I do love you so.

8. Michael Phelps – Why yes, as a matter of fact that is my boyfriend, Michael Phelps. In my opinion, Michael Phelps is one hot hero. Along with half of the world, I was glued to my television set every.single.night. of the Beijing Olympics. He is a hero in my book and also a hottie.

9. Patrick Dempsey – Affectionately referred to as McDreamy on Grey’s Anatomy – he is one hot ticket. I’m beginning to see a trend here. Hottie + Television = My List.

10. Justin Chambers – Resident Bad Boy on Grey’s Anatomy, Justin Chambers can be any kind of boy he wants with a face like that. Can you say Cutie?

11. Tom Cruise – Although I think the whole jumpin-on-the-couch-thing-on-Oprah made him look like a goof ball, you certainly can’t argue that he does not belong on this list. What a face.

12. Maksim Chmerkovskiy – What a hunk and what a name. If you’ve been living in a hole and have no idea who Maksim is, he can be seen weekly on Dancing With The Stars (that was until his partner Misty May Treanor suffered an injury) I was wailing at my TV… going no, no, say it ain’t so. I miss you Maks! That boy can really move. And that smile, well, just look at it. He’s crazy cute.

This final position was a toss-up. It was between James Denton, Jeff Probst and this guy….

13. McDaddy is relatively new to the paparazzi. He happens to be the star of my show and my very own Hot Prince Charming. He is an awesome father and husband, and the kind of guy most women dream of. He is hot. He is charming. He is my husband.

Clearly, I am one lucky girl!

How about you? Who would you put on this list?

Welcome to the very first edition of Thursday Thirteen here at my new place. Due to my infatuation with THE LIST I am thinking seriously about making Thursday Thirteen a permanent edition to my blog, so if you have any suggestions for future Thursday Thirteens, I’d love to hear ‘em.

Today, I thought it only appropriate to give you 13 things I love about my new bloggy home.

So, without further ado, and in no particular order, here they are.

1. The Live Traffic Feed – Ya’ll know I was born with a nosey gene and the ‘live traffic feed’ is one of the first things I look at when I plop down in front of my blog. Seriously, I’ve had 2 readers from Canada. Yee-haw, International Visitors.

2. Widgets – See all those things in the side columns… each of those are widgets. I am slowly learning how to manipulate and move them. My girl, Heather at Desperately Seeking WordPress has been so very patient, answering every question and responding to my 412 e-mails concerning this here new abode. THANKS! Heather for building me an awesome bloggy home.

3. That cute little FROM INMATES TO PLAYDATES button – I’ve sent that little booger all over town. If you have a place to display ye old button, hit me up and I’ll send you the code for it.

4. For a whole year I’ve blogged over on MySpace. While it gave me a great place to dish out my daily dose of crazy, I always felt like I was borrowing a corner in a small room. Now that I have my own place, I Own The Building and I couldn’t be happier.

5. Comments – Please pay close attention to what I am about to say. Comments are necessary and appreciated! Even if you just comment about the weather, it will let me know you’ve stopped by. As cool as that LIVE TRAFFIC FEED thingy is, it doesn’t reveal names (although that would be really awesome), so puh-lease leave me some luv when you visit!

6. Bloggy Goodness – Oh my word, internets… the gals in that blogroll have mad bloggy skillz. (Am I too old to use the word skillz?) I’ve been reading their ramblings for quite some time and find them to be among the very best. Go ahead, check ‘em out. I’ll wait.

See, I told you!

7. Blog Design – Although it is not completely finished, I adore the design. The blog designer is Jo-Lynne at DCR Designs. She created the blog design, the cute little button I mentioned earlier and a custom signature that has yet to be installed. Jo-Lynne has a lot of irons in the fire and I have no earthly idea how she keeps up with 3 kids, a personal blog, a business blog, bloggy giveaways, blog design and so.much.more! You should visit her blog. She just moved into her new bloggy home a few hours ago. Thanks! Jo-Lynne for your patience, encouragement and the awesome blog home you designed for me!

8. The ease in which to publish pictures. When I blogged on mySpace, I had to inlcude html code to insert a picture from my camera. It was a big.fat.pain.in.the.butt! But now, I just browse my pictures and insert them right into my post. No downloading to photobucket, then copying and pasting code. I’m tickled to death that its so very simple over here at WordPress. I’m a simple girl. The simpler (is that a word?) the better.

9. RSS Feed – So very easy and just plain awesome.

10. The whole Inmates-To-Playdates thing – So fitting for me. I told you I was quirky!

11. Bloggy Carnivals – Now that I have a blog home, I can jump right in the middle of them. Boo Mama is hosting one in mid-December that I’m really looking forward to cause I love Christmas.

12. That little princess that shows up in the browser when you type my URL in.  So cute!

13. My custom signature – Although it hasn’t showed up on any posts yet, I’m sure it will be an awesome addition to my blog. I’ve long been a fan of seeing my name in print. I’m excited to see it!

There you have it. Thirteen reasons why I love this joint so much!

And I hope you love it too!