This is what I'm eating this evening.

This is what I'm listening to.



This is how I'm feeling.

T.G.I. - almost - F.

Well now I'm just confused...

I've never been a big fan of Valentine's Day. When I was in grade school, I'd get anxious about the day because omg I did NOT want to give any of my boy classmates a card that had anything to do with me crushing on them or any other sweet words whatsoever. I mean, ew, in 1st grade, boys totally had cooties.

Now, I just tend to treat it as any other day. I've even gotten to the point of just cooking at home instead of fighting the madhouse that is restaurants on the 14th of February. It's just not worth it.

This was the boy's and my first Valentine's Day, though. I made my feelings on the matter very clear. I don't want you to do much, I feel more special if you pick up flowers on a random day when I'm not expecting it. Better yet, I'd feel super special if you gave me a day at the spa round about April (kidding).

But of course he didn't listen.

I came back from lunch on Monday to find a huge bouquet of flowers on my desk. Nobody's ever done that for me. The card was simple. Happy Valentine's. I love you, D. But alas, I still wasn't sold on the whole celebration day.

After work, I came home, went for a walk and started supper. Pork chops, roasted asparagus, sauteed mushrooms, twice baked potatoes and chocolate covered strawberries. I ain't gonna be shown up, y'all. I made a quick scrapbooked card, jumped in the shower and put on a sundress, because gawsh, I know he's tired of seeing me in sweats with wet hair and no makeup. I got kind of excited, because it was out of the norm. It wasn't the every other night TV watching, quick eating, laundry folding, talking about our day kind of night. Something about it was special.

The boy arrived, card in hand, in which I found the new Zac Brown Band CD and a gift certificate to get my nails done. It was simple, as the entire day had been. And exactly what I wanted without knowing that I wanted it.

And the best part of all, turns out, is that he did listen to me. He didn't go to extravagant measures to make this one day of the year sooo amazingly great. But he did go out of his way to make it known that he loves me. And to show me that love by cleaning up the kitchen (so. many. dishes. wow.) and rubbing my feet and legs. He took the opportunity to once again tell me that, hey girl, you da bomb.

I wasn't expecting anything, per se, but the fact that he met me in the middle of my "I hate this day" and his "Please shhhhhhut it and enjoy my doting on you" outlooks, made it the best of all.

Maybe Valentine's Day isn't so bad. But maybe the other days that the guys we love take the trash out without being asked, and lend a listening ear when we're whiny, and give up a Sunday of football watching to go on a picnic mean just as much, if not more. I'm glad I was blessed with this day to realize that. :)

Saturday Smorgasbord...

• I bleached the bath tub today. I hate tile. I hate the gunk that gets in every little crevice of it and forces me to clean it out. People keep telling me Tilex (sp?) works, but I'm too cheap to buy it when it's not on sale, so Lysol 4 in 1 and Clorox had to do the trick today. My hands stink and I burned my forearm because I didn't realize bleach splattered there. Fails everywhere.
  
• I also did all my laundry today, and let me tell you something....I'm beginning to find holes in the toes of every pair of my socks. How does that happen? The washing machine elves think it's funny to put holes in my socks instead of just stealing one of them so they'll never make a pair again. But see, the bad part is, I change shoes a lot at work (I feel the need to wear heels, then have to go out in the warehouse and put flats on. It's a daily battle. Don't make fun of me), so people actually see my socks. Maybe my bosses will see them and understand that I don't have the money to buy new pairs. Raise? Perhaps. Doubt it.
  
• I'm watching skiing on TV right now (no cable, hello), and it's seriously giving me a panic attack just watching these people. They're going, like, 150 miles an hour down over 5,000 feet of vertical mountain. I'm sure they don't have anxiety. I'm sure they are missing that part of their brain that warns them of danger....because that's just crazy. Crashing on skis at 500 mph = way worse than cracking a skull, or falling off a ledge, or getting your pinky finger bitten off by a shark. I'm knocking on wood now because I really don't any of the above to ever happen to me.
  
• Wanna see pictures? Yea? Okay, that's what I thought. My good friend Josh does some woodworking in his spare time. Last summer, I saw these two end tables he was making and commented that I loved them. Well, I ran into him before Thanksgiving and he asked if I wanted the tables. The ones I loveeee. Ummm...pshyeah! I asked him how much he wanted for them and he said nothing. Sweet boy. I kept meaning to come pick them up from his house but he lives so far away and I just forgot or didn't have time or whatever. He dropped them off last week on his way into Greenville. He also happened to just have a coffee table that matches them, so he threw that in with my loot. I CANNOT express my thanks to him. They are perfect in my little apartment. It finally feels complete. 

Coffee table. I haven't quite decided on decor yet. 

One of the end tables. I have NO room for the other. I'm not giving it to anybody,
so it might just hang out in random places for a while.

The final product. Whatcha think?!!?

Have a wonderful Saturday everyone!!

Writer's Block.

I was gonna write Wednesday. And yesterday. And today. And I've got nothing.

Lots has happened. I went on a drive. It cleared my head. I had a fabulous Sunday. Work has been intense this week. I've been frustrated, and thoughtful, and irritated, and glad the sun is shining, and excited, and nervous and, though I hate to admit it, a little angry. I'm so glad tomorrow is Friday.

But I still have nothing.

I have this wariness about writing personal things on here. I don't want to get too close. So, this is why there's a block between my mind and the words I want to say this week.

Sometimes it's good to have best friends to lean on and a family who brightens my day and a guy who makes me tell him what's on my mind and a God who understands.

I think I'll leave it at that.

Saturday Smorgasbord...

Saturday is my day. It's my day to hang out by myself for a while and do what I need to around the house, to visit friends and family, to shop a little bit, some, okay a lot, and to just enjoy the freedom to do as I wish. With working full time throughout the week and church/lunch/errands on Sundays, the remainder of my week is totally booked.

This past month, though, my Saturdays have been filled with wedding stuff. We've attended three weddings in the past five weekends. Insanity. Another of those weekends was dedicated to bachelorette weekend. So basically, I've had one free weekend since before Thanksgiving. I'm tired, y'all.

Which is why I'm excited about tomorrow. My plans are.......to do whatever I want! Sam needs shots, so that's on the agenda, and I need a good drive out in the country.

Pending the weather (it's so much better in the sun), you'll find me way past Highway 414 getting lost somewhere. I need to clear my head. I need to organize the remaining thoughts. I need to talk to God, and roll my windows down, and sing my heart out. I need to reminisce and be thankful. I need to not think about my to-do list that gets longer everyday, and to not look at the clock, and to not talk on the phone or text or email. I need to let go of all of life's daily worries and just enjoy the ride, which is true in so many different ways.

Gotta love a Saturday. :)

Take me home, country roads... - J. Denver

I have a case of the lazies...

It's not that I don't want to write about the past weekend's events, it's just that it's soooo much to write and, honestly, that takes a lot of time. And a lot of thought. I am lazy. So here goes....in bullet format because that's me being lazy.....again.

• WF is now WD, which is weird. I looked at her hand on Saturday night after the ceremony and it had two rings on it. Which it will have forever. :)
• She looked absolutely phenomenal. I've never seen her look so beautiful.
• I, on the other hand, looked chubby. Even though I lost four pounds, the dress didn't do much for me (okay nothing at all), but I kind of took the outlook that it wasn't the day for me to look drop dead gorgeous, so whatever.  
• WD also fell down the stairs on Saturday morning. BUT, not to worry, she kept her Diet Coke in hand and barely spilled any at all. Guess it was that important? I dunno, but it calmed her nerves (strange) for the rest of the day. Blessing.
• We ate. And ate some more. And it was goooood. Especially after my two-week hiatus from anything that isn't healthy. 'Cept chocolate chips. 
• We danced. A lot. 
• I gave a speech at the rehearsal dinner, which went not even a little bit as planned, because I started choking up (I'm a crier, I know) and ended it really quickly, but hey it made her mom tear up, so I say I did alright. JM also gave a speech in which she introduced herself as WF's "weird" friend. That won the comment of the night.
• The girls went back to BR, TR and WF's house for the night before the wedding and sat around the fire shooting the bull for hours on end. Then, we went inside and played "Let's Dance" on the Wii. Side note: I own that game. Don't get me wrong, I really can't dance, but apparently my hand that holds the controller can really groove. Thank youuuu genetics. It's all in the arm.
• The little flower girl got a nervous tummy and TR had to run (literally) her to the bathroom as we're STANDING IN THE HALLWAY ABOUT TO WALK DOWN THE AISLE to go poop. She got wiped once. Sorry, kid, chapped tail happens when you have to go in 2.5 seconds flat. Props to TR for successfully getting her back in place right before she headed down to the front of the church.
• I wish BD was my brother-in-law. WD's a lucky girl. And I kind of think that's why she married her hubs. Family comes with marriage, right? Anyways, he sang Elton John/Kiki Dee with her at the reception, showed off some awesome calve muscles and pretty much rocked out "The Prayer" during the ceremony.
• BD's grandmother also told him he should marry "that hot number you just hugged" (that was me, p.s.) before she kicks the bucket when her brain tumor explodes. Okay, first, she doesn't have a brain tumor, she's just been rambling about it for 20 years. Second, do brain tumors explode? I'm voting no.
• All in all, it was one of the best weekends ever. And now onto the next wedding!

Awww, the bride.

"I will shoot you with my iron."

Beautiful.

And now for fun! Gettin' jiggy. That's a serious face, there, Judith.

The brother-in-law. Sexay.

"Don't Go Breakin' My Heart"

Clemson Girls! (minus the bride and BR)