Cinco!

This week, my main little man turned 5.

It's hard to believe that it's been five years since I got the call from my brother-in-law, Steve, that my sister Kim was in labor. I threw my things together, ran by MAR's office to send out the "I'm on my way to Alabama to have a nephew!" email to colleagues & friends, then drove through the night. It was an intense labor (even for those of us not on the delivery table), and after many hours, much prayer, and a long ordeal for poor Kim, Caleb Levi finally arrived.

From the second I laid eyes on him, I was in love. We should've recognized some personality traits right away -- the one-eyed glare out into the cold, cruel world; resisting the warm wrap of the hospital blanket burrito; etc. :-)

Yes, he's an only grandchild, so maybe that's why he's the light of our lives....but that little man has such a personality, I am convinced that even if he were one of 15, he would still shine his own little light brightly and proudly.

In honor of Caleb's turning five, I'm listing my top five favorite memories (so far) of the little man's fun and already full life:

5. Z-ert. Caleb's ongoing word for dessert is one of the cutest I've ever heard. He works so hard to pronounce most words like the grown-ups do, but this is one I'm thrilled he kept his own enunciation for. There's nothing quite like hearing, "What's for z-ert after this turkey, Grammi?"
4. Man's man. Since he was a baby, Caleb has preferred being around men and doing guy stuff to time with the girls. Most boys are this way, but it's hilarious the way Caleb looks practically tortured if he has to hang out with my sister and me instead of standing beside his daddy or Grandpa and just watch whatever they're doing.

3. No go Tigers! Rather than following my sister and brother-in-law's leads on what teams to cheer for, Caleb is convinced that LSU "is stinky" and Alabama is the best. Soooo funny. He is die-hard Alabama, to the point of asking us all, "Why is no one for MY team?" Stinker.

2. Just an itty-bitty girl. When Caleb was 3-ish, I was playing with him and he wanted to be Superman. Instructing me on how the game went, the little guy informed me that I was supposed to lay helpless, calling to him, "Hep me, hep me, Supa-man. I'm just an itty-bitty girl, and I can't do anything without you." Seriously!

And my number one favorite memory of Caleb Levi Wood (so far) is:

1. Da Bekah. This was the way Caleb referred to me for the longest, and I loved it. Instead of Rebekah, it was "the bekah," which came out in 1-year-old speak as "Da Bekah." Too cute. :-)

Happy birthday, sweet boy! Can't wait to see what the next five years brings us. :-)

TGIF (plus 4 more things I'm thankful for).

I am so thankful for:

1. Friday. Always love this day, even on short holiday weeks. :-)

2. Family. My sister, brother-in-law and nephew came to my parents' for Christmas this year, and it has been such a fun and exciting time to see the wonder of Christmas through an almost five-year-old's eyes. Also, tonight I get to see two of my cousins that I don't see often -- one lives in Alabama, and the other recently moved from Tennessee to New Mexico -- and am very excited about that! The AL cousin also has a bouncing baby boy I get to meet for the first time!

3. Health. My Nan and Pop Ball have had a harrowing year with their health, so I was more thankful than ever for our traditional Christmas Eve gathering this year. They are so sweet and love to be surrounded by family. Please keep them in your prayers!

4. Location, location, location. I get to work from Hancock Bank's Gulfport office today, which means I did not have to go back to Baton Rouge to work today, but could stay the weekend with my family (just north of Gpt). This has been such a huge blessing. Not only does it give me a workday of convenience mixed with a fun weekend with family, it also gives the fam an 8-hour breather from Rebekah. ;-)

5. Talent. It has to be said -- my Daddy is amazing with cars, and keeps mine updated and maintained in ways I could never repay him for. And my mother's cornbread dressing is to die for, not to mention the way they both take an active interest in my life and love me no matter how unlovable I am. And my sister and brother-in-law's sweet generosity and kindness are so unique, yet I get to benefit from them every time we visit. And no one can make me smile like Caleb Levi. So I am utterly grateful for these talents God has given those around me, and that I am allowed, for now, to be blessed by them.

Fa la la.

I wish you a merry Christmas, I wish you a merry Christmas. I wish you a merry Christmas, and a happy new year.


Much love,
rebekah + a few NYC teaser pics ;-)

Here I am in front of the Plaza Hotel, across the street from Bergdorff-Goodman's, and by FAO Schwartz. As you can see, it was FREEZING! :-)

The gorgeous tree at Rockefeller Center! It had been lit December 3, just one day before we arrived. I took this while Cicily and Liz held my place in line to see the Rockettes' Christmas Extravanganza! I am on the side of the street where Radio City Music Hall is, and across the street (to the right of the tree) is Rockefeller Center.










Radio City Music Hall! This is where the Rockettes perform. It was so magical, inside and out. And to add to the beauty, right before our Rockettes' performance, it started snowing! It never stuck, but was just enough for us to catch the very contagious NYC Christmas spirit. :-)

Safe Mode.

This morning, my work laptop wouldn't start. Apparently something happened over the weekend that confused it, making it crash and be unable to work normally. With the help of the IT department, my computer finally (bedgrudingly) started, but only in "safe mode."

The incident reminded me a little of life lately...when things aren't so great, it's hard to operate at all. And easier just to crash, leaving normal operations for another day. But maybe it's best to proceed with caution -- in safe mode -- until operations can resume at top speed.

That said, I think I'm ready to forge ahead into the next days and weeks and months in safe mode, until my operating systems feel ready to operate under normalcy again.

Thankful.

I have been way overdue in posting things I'm thankful for lately, so here's my five for now:

1. A weird weather year, which brought both BR's first hurricane for as long as anyone can remember, and BR's first snow in years and years and years. Much complication ensued due to both, but both brought people together in amazing ways.

2. Vacations! NYC was GREAT fun.

3. Photos. I can almost relive the fun of NYC whenever I'd like, thanks to easily accessible photography. :-)

4. Time. It truly is a healer, as I'm learning more and more each day.

5. Memories. Sometimes they're the only things that keep us going through the hard times.

iSigh

My iPhone is back in working order and I couldn't be happier! While I loved my pink Razr with all my heart, I have enjoyed my iPhone but had NO idea how spoiled to it I've become these last few weeks. I hate to admit it, but the last few Razr-d days were almost like going back to a DOS operating system. Or typewriters. Sigh. Who knew I'd become so rotten so quickly?!

Sneaux Tigers!

I just rec'd an email with these pics taken today at LSU -- sooo pretty! I wish I could've seen Mike frolicking around in the snow!

The Big Freezy

This pic was taken in New Orleans before lunchtime today and sent to me by a colleague. Brrrr!

Baton Rouge geauxs white!

It's SNOWING in Baton Rouge today....and it STUCK!!! I can hardly believe my eyes, so obviously, I had to document it. This is the view from my front door.



I was sent this pic of Mike the Tiger, too, who seems to love chillin' in the white powdery stuff. I would have loved to have seen campus -- you know the students were going wild!



I came into work 1ish, and there is still some snow that hasn't melted yet. Ironically, the Lousiana Strong & Proud campaign was birthed due to Hurricane Gustav, and now this banner has seen all kinds of weather. :-)

Happy Hour at the Genius Bar

I have visited my local Apple Store before, and was a bit overwhelmed with all the concierges, Genius Bars and such. For this reason, I was not expecting the exceptional, how-can-we-help-you service I experienced tonight. This evening was, however, a wonderfully welcome exception to my other experiences.

While my iPhone is not fixed yet (nor has it been looked at), the Genius at the door gave me tips on things to do before I bring it back in (for a prescheduled appointment, no less), even stopping me as I walked out to make sure I knew how to get my SIM card out to insert it into my old phone so I don't have to be communication-less until my little eagle i is repaired.

From the congeniality shown to me, I can only assume it was Happy Hour at the Genius Bar when I visited tonight. (Yay for me!)

I still believe.

A recent publish by Clarion-Ledger political cartoonist Marshall Ramsey:

I heart....

After a fantastic girls' vacay to New York from Thursday-Monday, I am back in the deep south. Liz, Cicily and I made plenty of more-than-wonderful memories, but even so, I heart calmer cities, practically non-existant cabs, and most importantly, 60ish degree weather that feels balmy compared to the bitter cold we braced during our trip.

Vacay posts to come -- stay tuned!

Zzzzzzz.

It's no surprise to frequent Caleb-story-listeners that my almost-five-year-old nephew cannot stand to talk on the phone -- to me, or any other female. My Daddy, on the other hand, is completely intriguing to the little man. I think it has to do with the fact that Caleb knows my Daddy has a tractor, and a dog named Tractor, and does fun manly things like chop wood.

At any rate, when Caleb has to talk to me (this is never something he volunteers for), he almost always emits a huge sigh before chatting with the enthusiasm most people reserve for the dentists' chair. He painfully answers my questions, always in a rush to get back to whatever he was doing.

Tonight, I returned a call to my sister and could hear the sounds of rowdy boy play in the background. Kim informed me the play had to do with cars, and when she mentioned something about supper, Caleb ran up to her and said things like, "Tell your sister that I'm the fastest soup eater in the house," etc.

Inevitably, the poor little guy got his come-uppance when Kim told him to tell me hi on the phone. I could hear him protesting (gently, to his credit), and after a few seconds, his excuse for the night was, "I can't -- I'm just too tired."

Kim sternly said, "Caleb. You are not. Talk to Aunt Bekah," and he begrudgingly said, "Hello." When I asked what he was up to, I almost died laughing when at his reply. "Well," he sighed. "I was sleeping."

Boys. ;-) They never get excited about the phone, do they?

Pictured above is Caleb with an acceptable phone buddy (Grandpa), and Grandpa and Grammi (and Bekah)'s dog, Tractor.

Pictured below that is a kinder, gentler time, when my nephew actually enjoyed phone conversations with me. I think he also liked to cuddle more then, too...

Blog Lite

The post below leads me neatly to use a phrase I've seen on my friend Shawn's blog for years now: Blog lite schedule. Not that I'm that much of a frequent poster, but I will definitely be out of blog-commission until at least mid-next week. Have a great one!

Oh, and my high school's football team is playing for the state championship title this weekend, so GO WARRIORS! D'Iberville....TO THE TOP!

Bekah's got a brand-new bag.

For my birthday and Christmas this year, my family went in to get me some new luggage -- and it's a beauty! I am so excited tonight as I pack it for my NYC trip this Thursday through Monday!

Thank y'all so much for giving me a gift that will truly keep on giving. :-)

Black Friday Toils

I worked from our company's Gulfport (MS) office the day after Thanksgiving. It was a great way to allow me to spend extra time with family, not take a vacation day, and not commute back to BR with a holiday weekend "wasted."

I thought I was wonderfully clever to have this idea...until I realized I'd be missing the LSU game. I have, as my Daddy informed me after the Saints' Monday Night Football game, "become a little football junkie," and true to form, was a bit sad that I'd have to keep up with the score via texts from friends instead of watching it myself.

About a quarter into the game, my colleague asked if I wanted to watch it on the department TV, which is generally used for newscasts and weather updates (this is the MS Gulf Coast, and the building was pretty messed up in Katrina). Since there were only a few of us in the department -- much less the building -- at this point, I thought it couldn't hurt to bring some transportable work to the table to watch some football. I did, and was transfixed! LSU played a pretty good game (I was worried they'd forgotten how), but alas, Arkansas played better. One sad point better, in fact. The nail-biting final was 31-30.

But as the clock ticked past 5 on the day after a holiday and I continued to sit, laptop in tow, and glance at the TV during big moments, I couldn't help but think two things:
1. This is a pretty sweet deal.
2. My daddy is right. I have become "quite the little football junkie."

What's not to be thankful for?

I am so thankful. Being reminded of the spirit and meaning of Thanksgiving makes this week's "thankful" post harder than ever to narrow down. I did it, though, and this week, am especially thankful for:

1. Friends who will speak the truth to me, over and over. (For instance, Kristen, Erica, Jane and Tiffany's timely reminders about time and timing.)

2. Vay-cay! I go to NYC next week with Liz and Cecil and am SOOOO pumped! :-D

3. Family members whom I count among my best of friends (parents, Nan, Kim, Jeff, Greg, Russ, etc.).

4. Coworkers who get, put up with, like, and even seem to love me. (Grazie, ALong and SCole.)

5. Puppies! I heart my Tractor and I got to pet her and talk to her more than ever this weekend, along with Greg, Alicia and Lauren's puppy, Lacy. Good times. :-)

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is my all-time favorite holiday.

I'm a big fan of a day that focuses on no-frills, no gifts, little hassle, and no muss and fuss (other than turkey, dressing and cranberry sauce, of course), and who isn't all about giving some thanks? It's a very easy thing to do, because there's entirely too much to be thankful for, even on the worst of days. It's also a great reminder of the brighter side of life, especially on the worst of days.

When my all-time favorite political cartoonist, Marshall Ramsey, sketched an image about my all-time favorite holiday, I obviously had to post it. (Given the economic environment, it's kind of nice to laugh rather than groan about the news.)

Food and economy aside, though, please know I am thankful for many things, including you, my friends and family. Without your love, support and patience, I'm well aware of how frighteningly different my life would look.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Saintsational Night at the Superdome

Tonight the New Orleans Saints played Monday Night Football in N.O. and I was honored to be offered a ticket from friends! It was a record-setting game for N.O., who slammed the Green Bay Packers 51-29.

Records set and interesting game notes:

1. Deuce McAllister scored on a 3-yard run Monday night for his 54th career touchdown. His third-quarter TD gave the Saints a 38-21 lead against the Green Bay Packers and broke Dalton Hilliard's mark, which he tied a week earlier in Kansas City.

2. Saints QB Drew Brees now has 3,574 passing yards through 11 games. Brees passed for 323 yards and four TDs.

A couple of years ago, I met Deuce at a work event for Nissan in Canton, MS. I am not crazy about the above picture of myself with him (and am pretty sure Bethanie will grumble if she sees it, too), but given tonight's win, I had to post it. :-)

Geaux Saints, and thanks to Shanehan, Paula, Dan, Ty, Stacey, Keith and Toya for including me in on the big night!

Blog on blogging.

When I blogged solely on MySpace, pics were, for some reason, difficult to include. So blogging became more of an online journal for me, which I loved -- rather than a show-and-tell situation, which is what I personally enjoy about friends' non-MySpace blogs.

Now, however, I find that on Blogger, I feel very compelled to have a visual with each entry. Obviously, I don't always provide the pic with the entry, but still. I don't think my non-pictoral entries can be that interesting.

I think that's thwarting my creative blogging, though. I mean, I'm all about some writing, and getting my thoughts out there, and sharing my words with the world (which no doubt, the world clearly loves). ;-) But I'm not compelled to share (much like I'm doing right now) unless I have a visual (which I don't right now, and I refuse to find as a companion to this entry).

So, I guess my question is, to visualize or not to visualize? Would readers/subscribers prefer posts with depth (I promise that sometimes I include that) or pretty pictures (which I can TOTALLY appreciate)?

Your honesty is expected! No pressure.

Bad news.

Anyone who knows me well is not shocked to hear how hilariously entertaining I find kids' stories to be. So it might not come as a huge shock to you that this most recent tale from my sister about my nephew totally cracked me up:

Setting: Family (Steve, Kim, Caleb) sitting on the couch, watching TV.

Timing: Random moment.

Caleb: (With a big sigh) "Bad news about one of my jackets, guys."

Kim (to Steve): "What four-year-old says that?!"

Caleb: (Further sighing) "The zipper broke. On the playground. It fell right off of me."

Seriously. I know he's my nephew, but who doesn't think that's funny?!

5-4-3-2-1...

The five things I'm most thankful for from the past week are:

1. God's grace. How thankful I am that His mercies are new every morning, even when my own are much harsher and much less forgiving.

2. FRIENDS. Could I be more grateful for the wonderful friends I've been blessed with? They keep me laughing, hopping, guessing, and on my toes. Yay me!

3. NYC in T minus 11 days!!!!

4. Caleb Levi Wood, who brings an innocent light to my life that would otherwise be much more vacant.

5. Peanut butter. I'm not ashamed. I'm 32, and still love it as much as I did when I was 2. Bring it on! (Crunchy, please.)

Fab Five

Five things I was thankful for last week:
1. Celebrating past, present and future friends.
2. Coats, gloves, scarves and hats! It is COLD.
3. Time to clean and organize.
4. Things to look forward to. (In particular, Rachel & Co. coming to BR and letting me tag along to the Ole Miss game!)
5. Memories of time with my sweet family last weekend.

Blast from the past

Recently, my sister and I had the honor of singing at a dear childhood friend's wedding. Along with the joy of being part of her special day came the opportunity to catch up with old friends we had grown up with. It was definitely a blast from the past, complete with a rehearsal dinner in the Woolmarket Baptist Church gym (Family Life Center), where we girls spent many a skate night and lock-in.

Pictured here are the Johnson girls with the Monroe girls....it's been a long time. :-)

Tiff, Bekah, Jenn, Wendy, Kim, Mel










We also have the WBC girls' reunion photo from the wedding:



Tiff, Wendy, Jalena, April, Melanie, Bekah, Jenn, Kim

Veterans' Day

Veterans' Day has special meaning for me since I know several who have fought (and who continue to fight) for my freedom. This year, it was also magnified by the recent presidential election, which always somehow make me more aware of national holidays (particularly those centered around controversial subjects).

Marshall Ramsey, political cartoonist for The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, MS, always has a clever and poignant way to express the sentiments of the time, so I'll let his picture be worth my 1,000 words.

Thanks to all who give who they are for my freedom.

God bless you.

Top 5

Five things I've had to be thankful for in the past week are:

1. Spending time with my family, including Kim and Caleb, who gets to be more of a mess every day!

2. Seeing old childhood friends as adults, and laughing the way we did as kids.

3. Fall!

4. That SOMEONE's team is having a winning streak. (Someone = Caleb; team = Alabama)

5. My upcoming trip to NYC with Cicily and Liz! :-D

No Bama!

I figured I had better post this before the Bama/LSU game this weekend, since there's no telling what the outcome will be.

My new-ish BR friend Tiffany (pictured here with me) gave me a "Nobama" shirt for my birthday this year, with the intention of it favoring politics. I wore it to last weekend's game vs. Tulane, and couldn't believe the number of high-fives I got on campus! It was hilarious. Some people thought it wasn't political at all, but sports-centered, and that it said "No Bama."

So in light of our newly chosen president-elect, I mean no disrespect. I just hope we beat Bama. :-)

Also pictured is myself with Tiffany and Sheree...





...and with Angelle after the game (I look very haggard, but at least we won!).

Heads up.

I'll be spending time with my 4-year-old nephew this weekend, which means those of you who talk to me next week may, at any given point, hear an increase in the "Aw man!"s and "Cool"s in my conversations.

I'm just sayin'...

High Five

Five things I've had to be thankful for this week are:

1. The Sunday School and church service I visited last weekend (FBC Baton Rouge - downtown campus). Memories and snippets from both have been helpful reminders this week.

2. Friends who don't sigh in disgust when I'm grouchy (Angela and Shannon), or quickly avert their eyes and walk away when they see me in the mall and I'm weepy (Angelle), or tell me to toughen up and get over something that many may think I should've gotten past long ago (Cicily, Rachel R., and Liz).

3. A good job in an unstable economy.

4. Big, fat, juicy hamburgers.

5. An extra hour to snooze tonight.

Being Sarah Palin

Ever since John McCain selected Sarah Palin as his running mate, I can't go a week (and sometimes a day) without being stopped on the street and told how much she and I resemble.

So this year, I decided to dress as her for Halloween. It was so much fun -- I've been waiting my entire adult life for a costume that incorporates glasses! (I've been told countless times how much I look like Tina Fey, but I never could figure out how to dress as her for Halloween without lugging around an anchor desk.)

Some things that stood out from this experience are:

1. No one asked me who I was! People just came up to me and said, "Hi Sarah." Really fun.

2. "You betcha" can be used as a reply to so many comments.

3. I haven't worn that much makeup or hairspray since Prom 1993.

4. Thanks to this costume, numerous pictures of me with random people are now floating around the BR. So many people wanted photo opps - even those who were anti-Sarah.

The papparazzi can be so demanding.

6. If I do this again, I'm using temporary hair color to become a brunette. This is a little scary, since it will be the first time I've put any sort of color on or in my hair, but it's just about the only thing left to authenticize the costume. Apart from a hockey stick, that is, which would just be too dangerous.

7. Wearing a suit from 1999 (or possibly older!) is fine, as long as one remembers to cut out the tell-tale shoulder pads. Which I didn't do. And which my (younger) friends pointed out with glee. :-)

8. When being Sarah Palin, the perfect send-off for groups who ask to take photos is "See ya at the polls!"

9. It's really hard to find a place at The Chimes with enough light for a proper video shoot. But at least you can hear!



Here is our whole group -- Erica "Cyndi Lauper" Bankston, Tiffany Hess as Tiffany Hess, Brad "Michael Phelps" Blanchard, Sheree "Olympic gymnast" Beverly, Liz "German girl" Keys, Chrissy Davie as Chrissy Davie, and Rebekah "Sarah Palin" Johnson. (IDK where Angelle was when this pic was taken, but she went as Angelle Bertrand.)

My peeps are the best peeps.

Thanks SO much for all the sweet phone calls, texts, e-mails, sweet treats (!), messages, cards, gifts and precious sentiments you filled my 32nd birthday with! It definitely made my birthday more special, and I appreciate that so much.
:-)

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend - TGIF! Thanks again for being the best of the best.

Wrinkle on, wrinkle off.

My last few birthdays must be kicking in all at once, because I just got so excited about Downy's Wrinkle Releaser that I had to blog about it.

I know not everyone is, but I've always been a fan of spray starch (light, at least), because it really does help remove the set in wrinkles when ironing. This week, Angela Long told me about Downy's Wrinkle Releaser. I bought some and am hooked. You're supposed to be able to use it without ironing, but so far, I've just used it instead of spray starch. It works wonders, and without the typical starch build up.

So there you have it. I'm ancient. And yay Downy Wrinkle Releaser!

I almost forgot!

Five things I've had to be thankful for in the past week (10/19-10/25):

1. Getting to go home to the Coast and have dinner with my parents, and getting to pet my dog on my birthday week.

2. Turning another year older! Some aren't fond of birthdays, but I subscribe to the belief that they're wonderful, because with them come wisdom and cake.

3. Getting to go to the LSU/Georgia game ON MY BIRTHDAY! That was really fun, even if LSU did lose.

4. All the fun mail one receives on her bday. :-)

5. Friends and family who listen and give me honest advice when I ask for it...even when said advice might not make my heart happy at the moment, but is best in the long run.

Simply put, I have been blessed.

For a rainy day?

When I was little, we had a microwave (or was it a stove?) fire at our house.

Thankfully, it turned out to be (relatively) minor and didn't damage anything outside of the kitchen, but when it happened, my very frightened mother told us to hurry outside. Thinking I needed to grab my most important belongings, I shoved my rain boots on my feet and clomped to the yard.

I haven't had rain boots since I was a kid, and had forgotten what a fun feeling they bring to my whole demeanor until a recent purchase of rain boots...for adults! (At least they say they are. I guess it's arguable, especially for the not-so-young-at-heart.)


When I put them on at home after I bought them, I became so giddy! And when I wore them to Angelle's gumbo feast last night, I was ecstatic.

So with all the happy being bestowed on my heart and face and feet, I can't help but wonder...why limit these fun accessories to a rainy day? Especially when they're clearly a prized possession.

L-S-Who?

I spent my 32nd birthday watching the LSU Tigers attempt a win over the Georgia Bulldogs. Although my Tigers sadly did not pull through, I had a GREAT time at the game with Shannon! I will post more pics of bday events (and the day) later, but for now, here I am before the game, excited to be there and hoping for a big triumph!

Bugged Out

Occasionally, I get to drive the Hancock Bank VW bug to high-profile events in order to give the bank more exposure. Since I gave my nephew a stress ball in the shape of this car over the summer and told him it was a model of a real car, he's wanted to see it, so I got a pic with it this last weekend.

The funniest part about driving the bug is that when I'm in it, I forget how much it stands out and become a little irritated that people are watching me for no reason, or so I think. Then I remember....I'm in a wrapped car. ;-) And representing my company! So no dirty looks!

High Five

Shannon, myself, and Angela with my beautiful flowers.

Five things I have had to be thankful for in the past week:

1. A job with the flexibility and headquarters that allow me to go home when I need to, and to tie in a (brief) visit to my uncle's visitation during a week when it otherwise would've been a stretch.

2. A strong family with strong ties and an even stronger faith.

3. Afrin nose spray.

4. New friends. (Namely Tiffany, Jenny and Angelle.)

5. Old friends. (Namely Jams, Liz, Cicily, Amanda, and my new-in-time-but-rooted-at-heart friends who I also get to work with, Angela and Shannon. The flowers depicted are, in fact, from those two sweet girls, who know how to make a redhead smile when she needs it most. Aren't they lovely?!)



My lovely bouquet up close, including the (front and back) card listing the reasons for the happy. (It's been quite a month.)

Tag, I'm it.

I've been invited to play blogtag by my sweet friend Kristen. Rules are in the graphic.



Never one to say no to fun and games, here I go!

1. I cannot swim. I realize this makes no sense, as I grew up 20 minutes from the Gulf of Mexico, but for a variety of reasons, it never happened. (FYI, I do not intend to die not knowing how to swim!)

2. I love -- with an absolute passion -- to cook. This surprises even me sometimes, since up till age 19, I was scared to death of touching the stove or raw ingredients. But now I find recipes fun and sometimes challenging, and it does something special to my Southern, nurturing self to be able to whip up a meal for my peeps.

3. I can tan. I know this is unusual for a redhead, but when I put my mind (and time) to it, I can acquire a tan that contends with the best of the blondes. It's not the darkest and deepest, and I certainly didn't make an effort this year (does age make everyone more concerned about healthier options?), but I've been known to be called "brown."

4. Although I have worked in PR for nearly 10 years (this is surreal to put in print, btw), I was an English major with the original dream of becoming....::drum roll::...an English teacher. Then I was going to be a counselor, then a principal, then move on to the school board to change the Mississippi educational system. Sadly, I was too ADD for the classroom when it came time to hang out after preparing and presenting lessons. So now I just try to put my good intentions to work in volunteer settings.

5. Thanks to my initial PR years at the MS Association of Realtors, I love Macintosh computers.

6. Because of an old boss when I was in college (at Hancock Bank, no less), I know all the keyboard shortcuts for actions such as cutting, pasting, copying, printing, etc. I learned this because she was a lefty and I'm a righty, and as a part-timer, I didn't have my own computer so had to use hers. Learning those shortcuts was easier than groping for a mouse on the "wrong" side of the computer.

7. I am scared to death of hurting people, and I don't know where this came from. I know that unlike my sister, I haven't always been this way, because I used to be really (much more) outspoken and even cynical at times. Now I am typically so ridiculously concerned for others' feelings that I lean toward political correctness, even when it's not necessary (or even the smartest route).

I'm tagging the following friends for the following reasons:

1. Brandie, because I know what she has to say will be very interesting (not to mention entertaining ;-) ), and I know I don't know nearly enough about her since she has always been such a long-distance friend.

2. Tori, because I just met her (via blogging), loved her 101 list, and even ruthlessly copied some of her items!

3. Michelle, because she's always good for a laugh sprinkled with great insight!

4. SCole, because she's been on a blogging spree lately and just might do this!

5. Rachel, because it's been way too long since I've seen her sweet face.

6. Dane, because I'm dying to see what he has to say. :-)

7. J. Clark, because I want to see if he'll actually do this thing.

Naming the puppy.

After nearly a month, quite a few suggestions, and a lot of thought in a short time frame (namely, while I could not sleep just now), I have finally settled on what I hope is a suitable blog name.

Thanks to all of you who gave me fun thoughts to work with! As you can see, I especially loved Dane's Blog'n Rouge and C's Little Red Blogginhood, so I combined them.

I'll try to post regularly -- I really do love to blog -- so feel free to check it or not, whatever your interest is. But do let me know when you see other blogs that are interesting. I'd love to check them out!

101 goals in 1001 days

In an effort to follow my friend, PR chum and blog hero Kristen's boss's GIT method (Get It Together), I'm shamelessly ripping off another PR chum's blog idea to accomplish 101 goals in 1001 days. (Ok, so I'm not sure Nicole's was exactly that, but there were goals, and there was a time limit.)

When I Googled a count of how far away 1001 days would be, I learned that this is not Nicole-specific. There's a movement out there that as far as I can tell stems from an organization called Day Zero, if you want to read about it for yourself. Kind of fun.

Since I want a day or so to mull over the hugeness of what I'm asking of myself and I'd like my end date to be on a Friday, the first day of my challenge won't be today, but tomorrow: October 17, 2008. The last day of the challenge will be July 15, 2011.

So here I go. Feel free to comment, inquire, slap my cyber wrist when I whine, and hold me to to these without mercy:

RJ's 101

Organize the (many) books I own and resell, donate, share and/or shelve them. Attractively.

Obtain a copy of and read the Johnson family history compiled by my Aunt Troy & Co. years ago.

Get settled into a church home in Baton Rouge.

Work on my APR (Accreditation in Public Relations) certification.

* Sing at least once a day (when I have a voice, that is, which I currently do not). This is something I love to do but often forget brings me big joy. Which is probably why my current voiceless state brought it to mind!

Organize, scan and share the (many) hard copies of photos I own.

Move all MySpace blogs over to Blogspot.

Find a worthy cause in the city I'm in and devote time and energy to it.

Make a living will.

Write letters to each of my parents' brothers and sisters thanking them for their contributions to my life and history. (Daddy has five brothers and five sisters. One of his brothers passed away last weekend, so I will write a letter to his children; Mother has three brothers.)

Send Christmas cards annually, and mail them by December 10.

*** Send at least one non-occasion-related card per month.

** Go to the gym (or participate in some form of exercise) at least 3 times a week.

Lose 10 pounds.

Keep it off for one month.

Jog a mile in Central Park without passing out.

*** Go to at least one professional association meeting per month.

Write an article and have it published.

Plant a small herb garden outside my townhouse (or indoors if necessary with weather), help those herbs live, then cook with them and/or share them.

Clean the boxes out of the garage by Thanksgiving 2008.

Take swimming lessons.

When friends say, "What? You never saw such-and-such movie?," make a note of the movie and see it within the month. Current movies to see are:
1. Sixteen Candles
2. Pulp Fiction
3. Fight Club

*** Read at least one non-fiction book per month. (Yep, I was an English major, but this is tough for me. I do love my chick lit...)

Visit the acclaimed St. Francisville, Louisiana, take the camera, and savor the day and the beauty.

Host a (small, rebekah-sized) gathering at my (small, rebekah-sized) townhouse.

Wear hats. In public. Even if I'm the only one doing it.

Take tennis lessons.

Get a makeover and practice new makeup tips on an ordinary day.

* Cut out carbs after 3pm at least 5 days a week for a month, starting -- yikes -- tomorrow. (I read in a magazine that this helped Jennifer Love Hewitt's weight loss measures by leaps and bounds.)

** Do not miss one kickboxing class (held weekly at my gym) for one month, starting the first Monday that I am able to breathe and move like a normal person.

Go to Highland Road's Observatory some night and watch the stars.

Give blood as often as permissible…after eating breakfast, of course. None of my nifty fainting tricks this time, no siree Bob.

Pick back up my old tradition of adopting an angel at Christmas.

Sort, purge and organize cassette tapes. (Yes, cassette tapes. I was born in ’76. Work with me.)

Write letters to three of my favorite college professors -- Dr. Joan Fitch, Dr. David Fitch, and Jeanne Ezell.

Sell, transfer to hard drive, share and/or organize CDs effectively and neatly.

Host a picnic for friends with food that I made, not food that I bought.

Take dance lessons for a month. Jitterbug, ballroom, salsa – the possibilities are endless!

Pay for the person behind me in line.

Stop gnawing at my nails. (Yes, they’re fake. I know. It’s bad.)

*** Finish a special project for a special someone. (The project and recipient will remain a secret until the gift is complete.) Give the gift for Christmas. This Christmas.

** Blog five things I am thankful for each week.

*** Visit at least one farmer's market a month, starting November 1, 2008.

** Take my lunch to work at least twice a week, starting next week. (Weeks containing lunch meetings can be exceptions.)

Be able to at least jog the entire weekly Happy's Run (on Tuesdays) within a year from today (by 10/17/09).

Write out, carefully review, and stick to a disciplined budget for 6 months. (I think I have this in my head, but I hear it's smart to do on paper.)

See all of Ronald Reagan's movies.

See all of Paul Newman's movies.

See all of Marilyn Monroe's movies.

Go to a drive-in movie.

Learn to make a really good gumbo by spring of 2009.

** Call at least one out-of-town friend each week. Return calls don’t count.

Appear as an extra in a film.

*** Save at least 20 un-earmarked dollars per month for six months.

Decide on a suitable name for my blog, and share it with friends and family.

Reward the idea-giver who helped most with picking this vital name, especially since it’s taken me forever to decide on one. :-)

Take a train ride to Kim's.

Purge my closet of items I don't feel attractive in. Recruit friends' opinions if necessary!

** Deliberately accessorize at least once a week.

*** Send at least one piece of mail per month to my nephew.

** Track caloric intake on MyDailyPlate.com at least 5 out of 7 days per week, starting next week.

Learn to make really good cornbread.

*** Participate in at least one kid-related event per month.

Make friends with an elderly person I'm not related to, and keep in touch with them.

Set dates to visit my sister at least twice a year, and stick to the plan.

Cook an entire meal for my parents at least once during each visit to their home. (Holidays could be exceptions, depending on timing and the amount of leftovers in the fridge.)

Paint something on canvas.

*** Handwrite in my journal at least once a month. (It's been years, thanks to electronic communication and blogging.)

Visit at least three states I've never been to. My current unvisited states are:
1. Washington
2. Oregon
3. Idaho
4. Montana
5. Wyoming
6. Utah
7. Arizona
8. New Mexico
9. Colorado
10. Nebraska
11. N. Dakota
12. S. Dakota
13. Kansas
14. Oklahoma
15. Minnesota
16. Iowa
17. Wisconsin
18. Michigan
19. Indiana
20. Ohio
21. W. Virginia
22. Connecticut
23. Rhode Island
24. Vermont.
What a long list! Longer than I thought. Kind of sad.

When time to buy new lightbulbs, switch to energy-saving ones.

*** Do one nice thing for someone who will never find out per month, starting this month.

Consciously work on becoming a better listener.

Develop a personal career goal outside of my job description and achieve it by November 2009.

** Drink hot tea instead of coffee at least two mornings per week.

Have myself painted (I'm thinking a portrait -- not myself -- by a street artist in New Orleans....so no worries. Not anything too off-the-wall.)

Treat myself to a weekend at a Bed & Breakfast with a favorite girl friend.

Water my office plant...before it starts looking puny.

** Free my spaces of clutter at least one a week.

Try Vietnamese food. (How did I grow up on the MS Gulf Coast and never try it? IDK. But I intend to correct that.)

Learn to make at least three amazing shrimp dishes.

Go through old childhood books and toys that are still at my parents' house and relieve my mother of what she doesn’t want to (or doesn’t have space to!) hang onto.

Watch The Godfather movie series with my daddy.

Watch the HBO John Adams series when it's out on DVD and share with my daddy.

Have someone take posed and candid photographs of my sister and me, when we're dressed for the occasion and feel great about how we look.

*** Read my Bible at least once a day for a month, starting this month.

Ask my parents about their favorite childhood dishes that they don’t have recipes for and attempt to recreate at least three of them.

* Work on praying throughout the day. (Celestial complaints do not count.)

* Unless allergy-ridden or planning to be around those who are allergy-ridden, wear perfume, not because of a special occasion, but just because it makes me happy.

Get CPR certified.

Learn the Heimlich maneuver.

Visit friends' churches, including those not in my chosen denomination.

Share digital photos from events with friends and family within two weeks of said event.

Save $10 for every completed item on this list, but…

Donate $10 for every item not completed at the end of the 1001 days.

Obtain an authentic piece of jewelry from Tiffany’s. (I don't have to buy said piece from the actual store -- eBay is ok -- but the accompanying blue box is essential.)

Read all published books by authors whom I know personally, and especially ones by those whom I’m related to!

* Don’t text and drive for a month, and try to make this a much-needed, very safe, super-conscientious but oh-so-hard part of my world.

Throw a party on the 1001st day, Friday July 15, 2011. Don’t tell anyone who doesn’t already know what the party is for.

* Daily
** Weekly
*** Monthly

purple rain

I have had the misfortune of being a hayfever allery victim for more than a week now, which means my appreciation levels for all things at CVS are on the rise. My new favorite beverage is something Carl has raved about for years -- Gatorade's Rain drink. I particularly like the berry flavor, although it does have more calories than Gatorade's (equally tasty) G2.

Hopefully, the electrolytes will merge with my many meds to produce something people will actually enjoy reading in the near future. For now, it's back to bed. And my glass of purple rain.

When in the world are you gonna check on me?

When I first moved to Jackson, my boss told me a story about his then 4-year-old daughter, Claire, coming down the stairs to his study to see when her parents were going to check on her. (She'd been waiting all of ten minutes, pretending to be asleep, for crying out loud.)

I've thought of sweet Claire's frustration several times in my life since then. First it was cute, then it was funny. And sometimes, no matter when it's occurred, it's been relative.

Tonight, for instance. I had a horrible day, capped off with not the greatest night, so every once in a while I'd look at my phone, put my hands on my hips as little Emma Claire did way back when, and wonder when in the world somebody was gonna check on me?

Thank goodness, we don't always get what we want. (Otherwise, we'd be spoiled.) We also don't always get what we need. (Otherwise, we'd just be satiated.)

Thankfully, we get what we get when we're supposed to get it, according to His Will. And the lagniappe is just a pocket of grace -- something special we fall into not because we deserve it, but just because.

So even though no one really checked on me tonight as I was "needing," I survived. As did Emma Claire all those years ago. As do we all.

So be it.

Move over, MySpace. Here comes Blogger.

I'm starting the process of moving my old posts over from MySpace, so if you're one of the (un?)lucky peeps who is getting e-mail alerts every time I post a blog, I apologize on behalf of myself! I turned on the option earlier and am not sure how to turn it off. :-\

first semi-real blogspot blog

After blogging for a couple of years on MySpace, I've decided to become a real blogger and start posting these mini-journal entries on blogspot instead of e-mailing the blogs to friends and family who are not on MySpace.

I hope to be as good at for-real blogging as my friends Kristen and Shawn, who do fantastic jobs of updating readers on their worlds and the interesting happenings that go on in them.

So who knows? Maybe I'll post a really real blog really soon!

post-Gustav

(Written earlier this week.)

Hi all,

Thanks so much to those of you who have checked on me, my townhouse, and my family. It really means a lot, especially considering that from what I understand, the national and even regional news media is downplaying just how bad Gustav hit Baton Rouge. Once again, New Orleans seems to be getting the limelight. Thankfully, it doesn't seem to have been hit as badly, but it's always frustrating when it seems it's the only city to get any media attention. I am even being told that the Weather Channel is saying this storm was no big deal. Trust me, it was a big deal.

Having grown up on the coast with hurricanes and experiencing the three-hours-away effect that Katrina had on my family and hometown, I would definitely say I'm not a stranger to tropical weather. Baton Rouge, however, has apparently not had a storm of this magnitude or damage since the 60s, and there are many disaster areas in the city and surrounding communities.

I am staying with my coworker Shannon. She lives very near Angela, and we are able to save on gas by riding to work together. We checked out my townhouse yesterday and I was thrilled to see it's still standing, but I cannot get back there due to flooding from one direction and downed power lines and trees in another direction. Getting out of there was hairy, to say the least. Shannon drove and did a great job. If I had been her, I'd have needed a tranquilizer afterwards! Since I can't get back to my place for a while, I will be staying with friends until I can. I'm sure you can guess that there's no power (thankfully we just got it at one of our work sites, so I can sit in A/C here!). When not at work, we're all sticky and nasty, but hopefully it won't last as long as my parents had to endure the heat after Katrina! Ugh. Bless their hearts. So far, I have heard of six storm-related deaths, which is terrible but minor compared to what it could have been. I cannot imagine the hit BR would have taken if Gustav had been higher than a Category 1.

I ask for your prayers as BR recovers. Thankfully, there will be much less rebuilding than had to be done with Katrina, but much repair will be necessary. As many of you know from Katrina, tension gets high when electricity is off and there is a shortage of gas and ice. Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers. We are feeling them!

I cannot express how much I appreciate those of you who have checked on me throughout this harrowing time. It has meant a lot!

Much love,
rebekah





monica

i had no idea. their has been little or no mention of any damages. you and yours are in my prayers

Posted by monica on September 6, 2008 - Saturday - 10:32 AM
[Reply to this] [Remove] [Block User]



Brian

Maybe if you would all act pitifully helpless and blame your problems on other people, then you would get more attention in the media. Hard working, self sufficient, motivated people with functioning brains make for really boring news stories.

Posted by Brian on September 6, 2008 - Saturday - 3:50 PM

Hold that tiger! (first in a series)

I attended my first LSU game (vs. Appalachian State) the weekend before Gustav. Everyone tells me I haven't seen anything until I've felt the electricity of an SEC game, but I certainly enjoyed myself!

Thank goodness for Shannon and Dixon, who shared the option of buying extra tickets with me, and for Susan, Mike and Gawain, who showed me the tailgating ropes.

Fun times. And Geaux Tigers!

bloody sod

Favorite (though random) quotes from Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding, which I have just re-read:

~~~~~

I realize it has become too easy to find a diet to fit in with whatever you happen to feel like eating and that diets are not there to be picked and mixed but picked and stuck to, which is exactly what I shall begin to do once I've eaten this chocolate croissant.

~~~~~

Daniel: Would you like a cigarette?

Bridget: No thank you, I have found inner poise and given up smoking.

~~~~~

An evening with her is like swimming in sea with jellyfish: all will be going along perfectly pleasantly then suddenly you get a painful lashing, destroying confidence at stroke. Trouble is, her stings are aimed so subtly at one's Achilles' hells, like Gulf War missiles going "Fzzzzzz whoossssh" through Baghdad hotel corridors, that never see them coming.

~~~~~

When someone leaves you, apart from missing them, apart from the fact that the whole little world you've created together collapses, and that everything you see or do reminds you of them, the worst is the thought that they tried you out and, in the end, the whole sum of parts adds up to you got stamped REJECT by the one you love. How can you not be left with the personal confidence of a passed-over British Rail sandwich?

~~~~~

Mum: To be honest, darling, having children isn't all it's built up to be. I mean, no offense, I don't mean this personally but given my chance again I'm not sure I'd have...

Bridget (thinks): Oh no. Even my own mother wishes I'd never been born.

~~~~~

Tom: How many calories are you supposed to eat if you're on a diet?

Bridget: About a thousand. Well, I usually aim for a thousand and come in at about fifteen hundred.

Tom: A thousand? But I thought you needed two thousand just to survive.

Bridget (thinks): I looked at him nonplussed. I realized that I have spent so many years being on a diet that the idea that you might actually need calories to survive has been completely wiped out of my consciousness. Have reached point where believe nutritional ideal is to eat nothing at all and that the only reason people eat is because they are so greedy they cannot stop themselves from running out and ruining their diets.

~~~~~

Why hasn't she invited me to her party? Why? Why? How many more parties are going on that everyone has been invited to except me? I bet everyone is at one now, laughing and sipping expensive champagne. No one likes me. Christmas is going to be a total party-desert, apart from a three-party pile-up on December 20th, when I am booked in a work meeting all evening.

~~~~~

Ugh. Would that Christmas could just be, without presents. It is just so stupid, everyone exhausting themselves, miserably hemorrhaging money on pointless items nobody wants: no longer tokens of love but angst-ridden solutions to problems. (Hmmmm. Though must admit, pretty bloody pleased to have new handbag.) What is the point of entire nation rushing round for six weeks in a bad mood preparing for utterly pointless Taste-of-Others exam which entire nation then fails and gets stuck with hideous unwanted merchandise as fallout? If gifts and cards were completely eradicated, then Christmas as pagan-style twinkly festival to distract from lengthy winter gloom would be lovely. But if government, religious bodies, parents, tradition, etc., insist on Christmas Gift Tax to ruin everything why not make it that everyone must go out and spend 500 quid on themselves then distribute the items among their relatives and friends to wrap up and give to them instead of this psychic-failure torment?

~~~~~

Mum: Oh don't be silly, darling. You can't sit in the flat on your own all weekend when it's Christmas. What are you going to eat?

Bridget (thinks): Grrr. I hate this. It's as if, just because you're single, you don't have a home or any friends or responsibilities and the only possible reason you might have for not being at everyone else's beck and call for the entire Christmas period and happy to sleep bent at odd angles in sleeping bags on teenagers' bedroom floors, peel sprouts all day for fifty, and "talk nicely" to perverts with the word "Uncle" before their name while they stare freely at your breasts is complete selfishness.

Ugh. Must put sheets on bed. Disgusting to sleep on uncomfortable button-studded mattress. Where are sheets, though? Wish had some food.

~~~~~

Emergency: Jude on phone in tears. Is coming round Vile Richard has gone back to Vile Jilly. Jude blames herself. Thank God stayed home. Am clearly Emissary of Baby Jesus here to help those persecuted at Christmas by Herod-Wannabees, e.g. Vile Richard. Jude will be here at 7:30.

~~~~~

So glad I re-read this book! Cracked me up for a full week.


Currently watching:
Grey’s Anatomy - The Complete Second Season
Release date: 2006-09-12






Çhr阮ïñå

Love It! :)

Posted by Çhr阮ïñå on August 24, 2008 - Sunday - 11:32 PM



Susan

Now you have me wanting to read it again!
I've missed you. I haven't been on much lately.
I hope life is treating you well!

Posted by Susan on September 11, 2008 - Thursday - 5:51 PM

Our Town

There's nothing to remind you of how much you like where you live than to have someone visit you there.

I have sincerely enjoyed nearly every second of the past almost year (!) I've lived in the BR -- with the exception of a few pity parties ;-) -- but it hits home more than ever when peeps come to visit me.

This weekend, my sweet friend Rachel came to stay with me and explore the Red Stick, and we had a blast. It was fun to show her the sites and sounds of Baton Rouge, and even more fun to send her off while hearing her praises of my new city.

This may sound obvious, but it definitely makes a place feel more like home to be familiar with it enough to show people around it.

That said, I love our town. And am so glad I'm here right now!

Bethanie
Wow. Has it almost been a year already??? Time flies...Miss you, girlie!
Posted by Bethanie on August 18, 2008 - Monday - 6:08 PM

Skye
Yay! I love that you love my hometown! It is a wonderful place. The sights, sounds, the FOOD, the people, the accents :) Gotta love Baton Rouge, baby! It'll always be home to me.
Posted by Skye on August 18, 2008 - Monday - 6:44 PM

The Apple Store

This evening, I was reminded that I live in one of the South's coolest cities. (Not temperature-wise, but coolness-wise.)

After the gym, I ran by the Mall of Louisiana's new Apple Store for some technical support. When I walked in, I was immediately surrounded by....cool. (And not just from the A/C.) I wondered if I fit in, but then realized it didn't matter, since I was there for technical support. This wasn't some club I had to have membership to; I needed help.

Walking past the Kid Mac Zone -- which was, of course, complete with ball-shaped bean bags and mini Macs -- to the front, where people were sitting at barstools being helped by employees, I waited in line for a few minutes until I realized there was probably some protocol I was totally clueless about. Turning around to the (much cooler than me) girl cradling her Mac notebook behind me, I said, "Are you in line?" She, of course, responded with, "No. I'm just waiting for my appointment with the concierge."

Appointment? Concierge? Did Carl submit my resume' before purchasing my iPod so that I could actually qualify for this gift?!

Stepping back, I asked the guy near Cool Girl who was typing on a computer, "Is that where we make reservations with the concierge?" He said, "I think so, but it doesn't work." So I asked the girl, "Do we just stand here to make our appointments?" She, of course, responded very nonchalantly, "Well, maybe. But I made mine online."

Realizing this was not going to be the quick technical support trip I had envisioned, I attempted a graceful exit with some lame joke about needing to go home and make my appointment. With a concierge. For another day.

Which I just did...for Friday evening. I'll keep you posted on how uncool they diagnose me to be. I fear it could be serious.

Ah well. At least I still live in a cool city.

2 Comments

hibbs is what they call me
hahaha! We have one in Birmingham, and I felt the same way when I went in to buy my MacBook. As soon as I walked in the Apple store, all the "coolness" I thought I possessed beforehand left when I enter those doors. I seriously felt it leave my body and I was so depressed! I remember telling Julie these exact words when I got home ... "I am not cool enough to shop there." But luckily I found a really "cool" employee that helped me out!
Posted by hibbs is what they call me on August 13, 2008 - Wednesday - 9:29 AM

RE RE
ha ha ha!!! i feel the same way when i call them for support on the phone. obviously, i don't live in a "cool" enough city to have a store. thank God! i have since resorted to recruiting help from my 15 yr old nephew and my 9 yr old niece. And, they think I am "like, totally cool". so, it works out for us all! LOL
Posted by RE RE on August 14, 2008 - Thursday - 9:17 AM

Mamma Mia!

I saw "Mamma Mia!" this weekend with a BR friend. It was a great show with plenty of musical variety, plus a cast that was surprising in its depth and breadth.

There were some points where the burst-into-song moments caught me off-guard, causing me to nearly burst in to laughter, but all in all, I think it's safe to call it this decade's "Grease."

1 Comments

ToBe
"Grease" was one thing for back in the day!!! But, this thing sound like it might give someone a greasey feeling between their legs stemming from the back-side!!! Thanks, but no thanks....... =0)
Posted by ToBe on August 11, 2008 - Monday - 9:19 PM

hahahaha

So I've always wanted to see a live comedy show, but other than Jay Leno's stand-up act a few years ago, I've never done that.

Tonight, though, a friend had free tickets to a show in Baton Rouge at The Funny Bone and it was hilarious! There were several comedians, with headliner Howard Hall and his precursor, Corey Mac -- both Baton Rouge natives. I laughed so hard, and hope I can remember enough funnies from both of their acts to repeat so others will believe what a great time I had come tomorrow.

Definitely tickled my funny bone!

Violation

Last week I was violated.

It seems weird to type that -- much less say it out loud -- but it's true. Of course, it couldn't come in some average, run-of-the mill way. It had to happen through a method that's basically unheard of, but I learned that the whole process makes you feel...bizarre, to say the least.

It all began when I started my car Monday. To my horror, the little white cotton puff sounded exactly like a Harley. I took it to a shop, only to learn the next day that my catalytic converter had been cut out and stolen. Apparently, there is a hot (pun intended) resale market due to the platinum in catalytic converters. According to my insurance company, this trend was very popular in northern states but limited to that region until the crackpot experts at 20/20 did a special on it. Then it caught on around other parts of the country as well. With my luck, of course Louisiana is a hot spot for it right now, and of course the less-than-a-year-long resident gets hit. After, I might add, moving from one of the nation's top crime cities and having never been a victim. Nice.

I think it's important to note that my car had been parked at work over the weekend -- which is located in a very nice part of Baton Rouge, similar to Ridgeland's new Renaissance area, for those who live in Jackson -- and as my daddy pointed out, the theive(s) had probably noticed a trend in my occasionally leaving it there overnight when I travel for work and use bank cars. So it's not like my car was in a bad part of town when this happened.

But back to the violation... Before I realized that my comprehensive deductible was so low on my insurance (IDK why, but I am now thankful it was!), the car shop called to say my violators had ruined my tailpipe and muffler when they took my catalytic converter. Of course, that meant more expense, more repair time, more frustration.

Around this time, other things started occurring as well. My cell phone rang with a call from an 800 number. I figured it was a telemarketer, but had already racked up so many voicemails that day that I knew I didn't want to listen to another one, so I took the call, which went like this:

RJ: Hello?
Caller: Hi, this is so-and-so from AT&T Wireless.
RJ: Hi....
Caller: Miss Johnson, this is a courtesy call. We've noticed that your bill is unusually high and wanted to see if you've been making many out-of-country calls from your cell phone?

Well, of course I had not, but wasn't that just the sweetest thing to hear, especially right then?

Five phone calls later (AT&T Wireless may have great customer service reps if they call you to point out something like that, but I learned they cannot transfer you to the person who can fix the problem worth a flip), I was finally speaking to someone who could fix the error. And when they figured out what the error was, don't worry, because the genius who switched me to my new 225 number gave me NO PLAN AT ALL. That's right - for the last two months, every time I have LOOKED at my phone (much less texted, placed or took a call from it), I have been charged out the nose. Of course, the customer service rep wanted me to tell her what plan I was on, when I had been with AT&T forever, through several company changes, and had probably had the same plan for at least five years. Ugh. When the error was finally corrected, I was credited more than $1,000.

The hits kept rolling from there - documents I had worked on for weeks were suddenly corrupt with no changes saved, things around me started breaking, the guy from the car shop who gave me a ride back to my repaired car was overly chatty, I caught every train in Baton Rouge every time I drove, etc. I tried to chalk it up to a full moon, but I must say, it was one tough week. Each evening I drug myself home and locked my doors, thinking it wise to put myself on house arrest. But of course, I learned a lot from my weird experiences, including (but not limited to):

• Cars have catalytic converters.
• Catalytic converters need their own alarms.
• Getting a new haircut before a weird week is essential to a girl's self-esteem and self-preservation.
• I should time my vacations to align with Liz's so I don't have to worry about not venting to her while she's having the time of her life.
• Contrary to the way the world should work, bad things can happen during my sweet sister's birthday week.
• Having a boyfriend and family who understand when you're all talked out is priceless. And essential.
• God bless Angela, Shannon, and our penchants for getaway lunches.
• Not having a cell phone plan is the silliest thing anyone could ever do.
• Thieves watch 20/20.
• I am good for nothing during a week like I just had!

TGIF took on a whole new meaning last Friday.

5 Comments

Çhr阮ïñå
Wow. It's just Unbelievable how things seem to occur in a series of events... never just one little thing... an entire string of little things. I hope this weekend has proven to make it all better for you.This made me think of a quote I came across this morning:>Murphy's Law<"The chance of the bread falling with the buttered side down is directly proportional to the cost of the carpet."
Posted by Çhr阮ïñå on July 27, 2008 - Sunday - 5:23 PM [Reply to this] [Remove] [Block User]

Dyanne
the good news is you have a roof over your head...there were times in my life when i didnt! they took your catalytic converter not your car! as for your cell phone... its a damn shame they couldnt see how great you looked, with hot hair, while you freaked on the service call you had to make!~!!!!!!!!!!! lol i love you
Posted by Dyanne on July 27, 2008 - Sunday - 7:53 PM [Reply to this] [Remove] [Block User]

Amanda
Okay, that is the week from H***. I hope that this week is going much better for you. After reading your blog, I think I'm going to go out and get an alarm for my catalytic converter (whatever the heck that is!). Also, just FYI, I love the bread quote from above! I'm adding it to my favorite quotes right beside Charlie Brown! Happy Brand New Week!
Posted by Amanda on July 29, 2008 - Tuesday - 9:48 AM [Reply to this] [Remove] [Block User]

Jammit
.........BUDLIGHT PRESENTS.... REAL....Men of GENIUS...Today We Salute you, Mr. Catalytic-Converter-Platinum-Ripper-Offer Guy....- - (Mr. C-C-P-R-O-Guyyyy!!)Your Pit Crew speed and ingenuity, combined with up-to-date intel from 20/20 have resulted in the latest Feng Shui in urban crime(...We're-really-fast-like-Ninjas....)First; Copper..... Then it was lead.... Now Industrial grade platinum.... Your stealth-like automotive-mining skills place you on the top rung of the Can-Man's corporate ladder(I-Really-Need-Bail-Money)So Crack Open an Ice Cold Bud Light... Metallurgist-Of-The-Muffler......Because We know as long as we have catalytic converters..... You'll ALWAYS stink......In our book...(- - Mr. C-C-P-R-O-Guyyyy!!)
Posted by Jammit on July 31, 2008 - Thursday - 1:51 PM [Reply to this] [Remove] [Block User]


WOW omg what a week!