Dear 15 Year Old

Calandreya wanted to know what advice I would give to someone that is 10 years younger than me.


I’ll soon be going on 25 and so I’m shooting for a 15 year old that was like me at that age.


Dear 15 year old who thinks she knows everything there is to know,

You don’t know shit. You are not as smart as you think you are and you will indeed be put in your place time and time again. You have a lot to learn and I know you aren’t going to take my advice, but here it is anyway.


It doesn’t matter what other kids think about you. It doesn’t matter if you are in the cool crowd or not. When you graduate, you will never see those people again and you are pretty much wasting your time. So stop bugging your parents to buy you expensive clothes. Real friends don’t care what you wear.


Speaking of real friends, stop hanging out with girls that like to surround themselves in drama just because they get bored. They will only suck you in and bring you down. They will also turn their backs on you any chance they get.


You are not going to find your one true love at 15 years old. If you do, you are one in a million. So don’t take it too seriously. Don’t forget about your friends when you start dating either, because when that boy moves on to another, your real friends will be there for you. Those stupid girls I was talking about earlier will be there to snatch the boy up.


Don’t try to grow up too fast. You wouldn’t BELIEVE how time flies after you graduate. Enjoy being in school. Skip class every once in a while, but don’t do it too often because then you will have to take finals and those really freakin’ suck.


Don’t let anyone walk all over you. Put your chin up and talk back. Like I said, these kids aren’t going to matter in a few years.


Be nice to your parents!! I cannot stress this enough. Sure, they are embarrassing and always wanna know what you’re doing and where you’re going. You are 15. Not 18. They have every right to know what you’re up to. Remember, they are trying to keep you safe. When you get older, you are going to appreciate your parents a whole lot more than you do now, so don’t burn any bridges.


Also, don’t you even think about smoking a cigarette. Ever.

Sincerely,


Almost 25 year old who knows she knows nothing at all about life and is never surprised by what happens next.



Trivia time! What actress holds the record for most Oscars won?
As always, first to answer correctly chooses who will stay on the Giggle Button for a week!

A collaboration...

Mynx and I decided to mash our brains together and bring you a little something special. We were passing ideas back and forth and finally came up with a plan to share the contrasts between a new couple and an established couple. Boyfriend and I have been dating for 8 months. Mynx and Hubby have been married for 18 years.


So please enjoy…New Couple vs. A couple of old farts who haven't killed each other yet (Mynx's words not mine)

JM- On Sunday mornings, Boyfriend and I sleep in as long as we can. Then we get up and have either cereal or pancakes, because well, that’s the only thing we know how to make. Then we watch TV until we decide if we should venture outside. If yes, we go visit friends and family. If no, we stay in our PJ’s all day.

Mynx- Sundays I am usually awake early.  Habit from when the boys are little I think.  Seems the older I get the less sleeping in I get.  Weekends are my turn to grab the paper and make the coffee.  Love lying in bed with the paper.  Hubby gets the inserts and junk advertising, while I claim the main bits.

Usually next out of bed, Big C will stumble out to the living room and become a zombie in front of the TV.  MJ will stir last, time dependent on when his shift at work starts.  Second coffee while I eat some cereal, first load of washing in the machine and plans made for house hunting.

JM- We go on dates a couple times a month. It used to be more, but Boyfriend works a lot now. Our dates consist of dinner and sometimes drinks and/or a movie. Sometimes we skip straight to the drinks. Oh and I get flowers, too!

Mynx- Dates? Lol.  Maybe once every 2 or 3 months, hubby and I might go out for a meal.  Usually a "date" for us will be coffee at Macca's.  Sometimes he even buys it.  On special occasions (or if he has really pissed me off somehow) we will share cheesecake with the coffee.  Used to get flowers at random times with him telling me that he likes to give  them to me when I don't expect them.  , he must think I expect them all the time because for some reason I don't get them much anymore.

JM-If we are apart for more than a day, I go insane. Seriously. Everyone says, “Absence makes the heart ground fonder.” Bullshit. Absence makes me angry.

Mynx-  Although I miss him when he goes away, having the house to myself is absolute bliss.  Do what I want, when I want and no dirty socks or dishes to pick up.

I might bitch and moan about the time he spends involved with Archery, but it gives me space to do stuff for me.  Going away? Bubble bath and chick flicks here I come.

JM- We don’t have “our money.” He has his money and I have mine. As long as he has money to split the bills, I don’t care, nor do I have any say in what he buys. And vice versa.

Mynx-  Always been our money, and I made sure when we got married that the house was in my name too.  Joint bank accounts into which our pay goes into. We have spending money out of the budget to do what we want.  No one really keeps count although I look after the bill paying.  Sometimes I think he believes we have a money tree outside. Of course the less he knows about how much I spend at times the better. 

JM- Silence kills me. If we are sitting in a room together, he must talk to me. About anything.

Mynx- We can sit together for hours not talking.  He isn't a big talker anyway.  Shock horror, I have even messaged him from another room to make the cuppa tea lol.

JM- Since moving in together, the only thing I’ve found that drives me crazy about him is that when he shaves, he leaves the hairs on the sink.

Mynx-What drives me mad about hubby?  His ability to sleep anywhere at anytime.  And his domestic blindness, where he just cant see what needs to be done.  Hairs on the sink? Belly button fluff in the corner of the shower is worse.

JM- Our biggest and most frequent argument is about the amount of time he puts in at work. I hate that he works so much. And mostly for selfish reasons (i.e. I’m bored or lonely)

Mynx- If we argue it is mostly because I feel taken for granted.  We really don't argue much. 

JM- Our first ever conversation was through a text message.We talked on the phone before we ever met.

Mynx- We made small talk at a Rotaract meeting, where I met him.  He was the Membership officer in charge of making new members welcome.  He did his job a little too well with this new member. Our first mobile phone was years away.

JM-Weekend getaways don’t happen often because we are poor, but when they do, we find a dog sitter, pack one suitcase and hit the road.

Mynx- Now that the boys are older, we can get away for a couple of nights.  Once a year or more if we are lucky.  Either a 5 star hotel somewhere in the city or a gorgeous BnB in a wine region.  We love going to outdoor concerts and try to make a weekend of it.  Planning a trip to Perth without the kids next Easter.

JM-  We only make dinner about three times a week. All the other days we either go out to eat, or I’m home by myself and eat junk food for dinner.

Mynx- I do 90% of the cooking and that is usually every night.  Takeaway when i am tired but never more than once per week.  We have eaten out a little more lately because of all the fuss and bother with moving house.

JM: Boyfriend takes out the trash and occasionally does dishes. He cooks when he is home before me, and that's about it. I wash clothes, mop, vacuum, dishes, cook, bath the dog, clean the toilet and shower, and pretty much everything else. It's not that he's lazy or just sits around and watches me do the housework, he just works a lot. If I wait on him to do it, it will never get done. I even cleaned out the garage by myself on Wednesday.

Mynx: Kids do the rubbish and recycling chore and the dishes.  Big C is supposed to do lawns and keep the loo clean (that's part of his pocket money). I only work half days so I do most of the cleaning, 90% of the cooking and all the grocery shopping.  Hubby, well, he tries.  He will bring in the washing off the line, fold it and then leave the piles on the floor for you know who to pick up.  Half job Harry I call him. He will do the dishes even though it is the kids job when I could really use help with the bathroom.  Honestly that man is spoilt rotten and is pretty clueless about what inside jobs need doing.  Outside? Just don't let him near my baby plants when he had a bottle of weed killer in his hands, can't tell the difference between a foot tall thistle and a newly planted pansy.

JM: This is the first Christmas Boyfriend and I will celebrate together. I have no idea what he's getting me. Not one. I haven't even had a birthday since we've been dating, so I don't know what my birthday will be like either. I got him a few surprise gifts for Christmas, but everything else he knows about because he picked them out. For his birthday back in July, I took him to the zoo, then to a comedy club, and we stayed over night in an awesome hotel.

Mynx: I still remember our first Christmas. And my first Christmas gift.  We had been together 6 months and I was hoping for something romantic. I got..wait for it...a street directory. (for young people that is a book we used before we invented GPS units for the car)  I have never let him forget it.  He also quickly learned that appliances especially replacement appliances (replacing old broken ones) are not desired unless specifically asked for.  Last year tho, he really had form.  We share a bank account and I keep track, he knows that.  So my clever hubby usually just withdraws the agreed amount of cash and goes shopping.  Last year, not so smart. Just put it all on eftpos.  So I knew not only how much he spent but where.  (let's just say it was at a shop that you can only buy one type of thing) It was like finding it unwrapped before Christmas. I was devastated. He returned whatever it was. He wont do that again

JM: When Boyfriend and I go shopping, we usually go to the stores I want to go to first. He will NOT hold my purse...ever. It drives me crazy when I'm trying to browse through clothing because WE ALL know women cannot look at clothes without touching them and he will just stand there, empty handed, and not hold my purse! LOL. Then we usually go to the stores he wants to go to and I'll just follow him around while he looks and put in my "Mmm hmms" accordingly. We are both impatient people regularly, but when shopping, for some reason, neither of us mind waiting on the other.

Mynx: JM, you actually ask him to hold your bag? Oh I have never done that.  Perhaps the purchases but my handbag is off limits to all males in this house.  Although that doesn't stop them asking me to carry their crap when we are out.  If I am shopping for clothes, he is a Houdini, "what do you think of this luv?" I will say as I turn around only to find him gone. Usually loitering outside the shop or chatting to some other dragged along husband. Although he does act lot more interested when I shop for underwear for some reason.

JM: Boyfriend and I share a lot of the same hobbies, and we are big geeks. When we have some free time, we play video games, board games, WoW, cards, *cough* Munchkin, Rock Band, etc. I like to blog and boyfriend blogs a little bit, too. We both read a lot (well, not as much as we used to). When we do things apart, I usually go out with my friends to a bar or club. He's not much of a bar person, so I really have no idea what he does when I'm gone.

Mynx: Hobbies are the one area we don't try to share.  We both love our tech stuff and he is currently angling for a new phone (Nokia N8 or something)  He has been involved with stuff like Dog club and scouts and now his current passion is archery.  My hobbies tend to be more home based although I will at times get a gym membership and I am loving my Zumba classes.  I blog and he is oblivious to the blog world. We both like to read but probably don't as often as we should.  Board games still have a place with us. Hobbies give us time to be apart.  I love going to the movies with girlfriends and shopping with my mum.  

You know JM, if anybody asks why we seem to keep together I guess I would say respect and trust.  We allow each other freedom to be ourselves and have time to ourselves.  We try not to sweat the small stuff and work hard at being united when dealing with the kids.  Marriage can be hard work, full of compromise at times.  Hubby quite often drives me insane but we have only ever gone to sleep angry with each other once. We both slept so badly we will never so that again.  Mind there have been many a tear before bedtime as we work through what ever has caused us to argue in the first place.  I accept that he is a clueless male a lot of the time and he accepts that I am a pushy over organizer. Somehow it just works for us.

Sounds like a happy marriage to me, Mynx. I can only hope Boyfriend and I can continue to be happy for years to come! He compromises well, and I believe I do, too, but we still have so much to learn.

Oh, To Be a Child Again

Barb wanted to hear about some of my childhood memories. I was actually really excited to sit down and start writing this because I have so many.

My parents divorced when I was young and my mom remarried shortly afterwards to a man that had three kids of his own. All boys. So we were pretty much the Brady Bunch. My mom brought three daughters into the relationship, he brought three sons. We were all pretty close in age, too. But then there were two middle children. If you haven’t heard, middle children are pretty terrible. I know. I am one. My step brother and I would seriously cause complete chaos. We were bad. We constantly picked on our younger siblings. We would steal cigarettes and beer and run into the woods and smoke and drink (yeah, we were like twelve). There were always so many people at the house though; no one really noticed that we were gone. We got away with a lot. And since we were the meanest of the bunch, our other siblings usually listened to us and did what we told them to. Which meant they got in a lot of trouble, too. Sounds like Holy terror, right? It was. My poor mother.

We weren’t always mean, and often times we would end up mad at each other and I would go play with my sisters while he went with his brothers. When we all did get along, it was fantastic. We already had six people, so we could play football, tag, hide and seek, etc., without really having to enlist more players. All the neighborhood kids, though, would come to our house and play because, well we were awesome. We would actually go to the corn field across the street in the dark and play flashlight tag. In a huge corn field. At night. Only one child armed with a flash light. We were stupid carefree. As an adult, I’m afraid of the dark. And corn fields.

Usually for the last few weeks of the summers and sometimes during Thanksgiving, my mom would ship us girls off to our dad’s house, wherever he may have been at the time. Remember, he was in the military. Every summer was a new place, a new adventure. By the time I was 13, I had been to just about every state on the East Coast and to three countries. I’d been to Niagara Falls, Disney, Universal Studios and just about every Six Flags on the coast. Summers with dad were amazing. Since he only got to see us about once a year, he really saved up and made the trip something spectacular. My dad spoiled (ok, still does) us with money but is an awesome dad, too. I can call upon him for ANYTHING and he’d be there in a flash. He didn’t try to buy our love, because he didn’t need to, he already had it. He just wanted us to have a life he never really got to.

My mother could never afford the luxuries that my dad could, so when we got to go with Dad; it was like living an entirely different life. Just something as simple as going to a movie theater was unheard of at home. My mom couldn’t exactly pack up six kids and take them to a movie. She just didn’t have the means to do so.

So my childhood was mostly spent it two different worlds. At home, I was a barefoot kid running around in the yard with her brothers and sisters playing tag until it was too dark to see. Camping, fishing and making forts in the woods. Again, as an adult, I won’t go into the woods, because I’m afraid of what’s in there, but when I was a kid, I’d spend hours in the forest. Isn’t that strange?

When I was with dad, I was exploring cities and staying in fancy hotel rooms with room service and cable TV. I sat in the passenger seat and told him how to get us across many states with an actual map. (Yeah, I don’t know how I ever did it. Thank God for GPS.) I was watching airplanes do tricks at air shows on the Air Force base, lying in the grass in the middle of the runway while they flew directly over our heads and took off right beside us. I was swimming in heated pools and lounging in hot tubs. I was getting my hair braided on beach boardwalks while eating funnel cakes.

Two totally different adventures. Both made me who I am today and both held the greatest times of my life.

It was just a dream

Calandreya really hit me with suggestions and they are much appreciated! Thank you times a billion!!!

She told me that she would like to hear about a memorable dream I had and what I thought it meant.

Not long ago actually, I had a dream that shook me up so much that I had to wake Boyfriend up and make him talk to me until I could fall back to sleep. It was just so vivid!

That same night, Boyfriend and I had gotten into a small argument, but I went to bed angry.

I fell asleep and the dream went something like this...

Boyfriend and I were at a party with only two other people there. Another male and female. Well the female kept flirting with Boyfriend which was pissing me off, but it wasn’t until she flashed her boobs and Boyfriend helped himself to a feel did I get angry and storm out.

So my dream self was steaming mad and driving when my phone rang. I answered it and Boyfriend pleaded with me to meet up with him. I agreed to meet him at the mall. I drove home and got his laptop so I could give it back to him. (Everything else I was keeping apparently?) I pulled into the mall and started walking up the sidewalk when a white car pulled up beside me.

As soon as I saw the car I knew something was wrong. A guy jumped out and said, “Ok, give me the laptop.”

I handed it over to him, but then he grabbed my hair and threw me into the backseat of his car. I caught a glimpse of the license plate which was 3HPZ (yes I still remember) and was going to text it to Boyfriend and tell him to call the cops.

Every time I tried to start typing a text, the bad guys would look at me though. There were three of them in the car and we were now driving around trying to find drugs. Why they needed me? No idea.

We pulled into a park and they all got out. The perfect opportunity for me to text Boyfriend. I wrote out the text.

“I’ve been kidnapped. Called 9-1-1. I love you.”

I didn’t include the license plate number for some reason. But I hit send. It came back and said I had no service. I kept trying to send the message over and over again but it wouldn’t go through. Then the bad guys got back into the car.

We drove back to the mall and the only thing I kept thinking was that I needed to press send. I felt so helpless that I couldn’t even send out a little text message.

The car finally pulled back in the mall parking lot. I was home free. They were going to let me go. As I started to get out of the car, I was thinking, I’m going to get to see Boyfriend again. I swear I will never fight with him ever again.

But then, the bad guy shot me in the back of the neck. I stumbled forward and immediately realized that I had lost my phone, of all things. I could feel the hot, hot, heat of the wound at my throat. I could feel the warm blood trickling down my face. I was choking on my own blood. But I would not die. I just kept thinking, maybe I could live through this. Maybe I can survive. I can’t die like this.

I heard the bad guys yelling at each other about how to dispose of my body.

I must have moved.

They shot me three more times in the back.

Then I sat bolt upright in bed grabbing my neck and coughing. It was the weirdest and most haunting feeling I’ve ever experienced. I’d never actually felt something from a dream before.

What do I think it meant? Not to ever go to bed angry again because you never know if you are going to be given tomorrow.

Read a Good Book

Pirategeek9 and Calandreya were both interested in things that I read. Normally, I read constantly, but lately it’s been lacking. I just haven’t really found the time to sit down and read a book.

The book series that I am trying to read now is Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. So far, it’s great. You can read my review here. I tend to stick to books more like this. (Vampires, Werewolves, Wizards, etc.) Mostly because I like to escape and these books take me to a place I can never go.

The Anita Blake Novels, Twilight, The Mortal Instrument Series, The Vampire Chronicles, Maximum Ride, etc. These are all favorites of mine. But my all time favorite book is The Giver by Lois Lowry and has been since I was younger. I remember reading it in school and have read it over and over again since then.  I can't even describe it without writing an entire post about just that book, so click here if you are interested.

Growing up I was always into the Goosebumps books and had like every one of them ever made. Then I got into more of the teenage angst books. I read a lot of Sarah Dessen and while she is good, its definitely not my style anymore.

I had actually went on a reading hiatus for a long time and wasn’t really sure which genre called to me. Then my sister gave me Twilight one day. (It was before the movie came out and totally took over everything and everyone started hating it because of all the hype.) I wasn’t too excited about it, because I wasn’t sure if I’d like the whole Vampire fantasy thing.

I read all four books in the series in a week. Then I re-read them. I would skip work so that I could stay home and read. And then I would stay up until the wee hours of the morning reading because I just could not put them down.

My aunt asked me once how she could get her daughter to start reading and I handed her Twilight. Her daughter reads daily, now. She thanks me all the time for the suggestion.

Make fun of Twilight as much as you’d like, but that series is the reason I picked up reading again. And there is a reason so many people are fans.

James Patterson is another one of my favorite authors. He was responsible for the brilliant novels that are Maximum Ride. I’ve read a bunch of his mystery novels too featuring Alex Cross as a detective. They are all page turners.

So, Jumble Mashers, what’s your favorite book?

Girls are Geeks, too.

Do you remember Jen for Epbot? I interviewed her a while back and if you didn't know, she's awesome. Well I realized that I hadn't been by her blog lately and jumped over there this evening and saw a really incredible story.

Apparently a little girl, Katie, had been getting picked on for carrying a Star Wars water bottle to school. The kids were teasing her that girls weren't supposed to like Star Wars. WHAT?!?!? I missed that memo.

Anyway, Katie's mom just so happens to be a blogger. She shared the story on her blog. The story was then sent to Epbot, where it went viral. Other blogs picked it up, too. It was all over Twitter and Facebook. And the news. 


I absolutely LOVE this story. A Facebook event was started for December 10th as Wear Star Wars: Share Star Wars. The idea is to wear something Star Wars and then donate a Star Wars item to support Katie and girl geeks everywhere.

Giggle, Wiggle, and Jiggle

Here are the results of the poll this week!

It's kinda hard to read, but out of 38 votes, Married with Children and In a Relationship won it with 9 votes each. I was totally going to give you guys some stats about real averages in the U.S. but IT'S THANKSGIVING and I don't wanna.

So I'm going to...

A) tell you that Barb came up with Thursday's new title. Giggle, Wiggle, and Jiggle will be the title of every Thursday's poll results, Giggle Button results, and blog recommendation. I love the name. It's quite catchy, right? I'm also recommending you go check her out as well as Tickets For Two! Both are fabulous blogs that you really don't wanna miss.

B) tell you that the new poll is What is your favorite board game?

C) reveal that Stephanie C has won the Giggle Button trivia by answering What is Madonna's last name? correctly. The answer is Ciccone.

D) tell you that I am EXTREMELY thankful for the following (in no particular order)

Boyfriend
Friends
Family
Blogging
Cookies
Internet
Cell Phones
My Dog
Video Games
Brad Pitt
Spite
Online Shopping

You're welcome.

Have a very happy Thanksgiving, all! Wish we could all have dinner together!

I LOVE Today

This has been such an AWESOME day, I just HAD to share it with you guys.

First, instead of actually working today, I got to mess around and put up Christmas decorations at the office. THEN I was told that I could leave early! I got to leave two hours early and don't have to go back until Monday.

So I get home from work and immediately notice that the table is very clean. We usually have mail or at least a couple magazines on the table, but it was bare. Except for a tiny piece of wrapping paper. I swear to you my face lit up like a Christmas tree when I realized that Boyfriend had wrapped presents while I was at work.

I ran into the den (with dog following closely behind, he had no idea what was going on but he was loving running around) and saw that there were a bunch of presents in there. I started going through them and saw that each tag had cute little names written on them.

To: Peach From: Mario

To: Bloggette from Blogger

(Picture quality sucks. Taken with my cell phone)

He knows me too well. All of them say stuff like this and he knew I'd get a kick out of it.

Then I called him and he said that on Christmas Eve he is going to wait until I go to sleep then get up and put all the presents under the tree. So when I wake up, it will be like Santa had been there!

He did say I had to make "Santa" cookies though. But I'm okay with that! I am so freakin' excited!

So then I sit down and turn on the TV. And there it was! The episode of Friends where Brad Pitt guest stars.

Could this day BE any better? (Say in Chandler tone. It's better)

Dad says I should play the lottery. If I win, ya'll are invited to my place.

Wee Bit Wednesday

{one} what kind of camera do you have?

35mm Cannon Rebel and a digital Nikon

{two} you just won $1000 and you have to spend it on yourself on one item. what do you buy?

I would buy a gift certificate to the mall and would then spend the gift certificate on many things. Ha!

 

{three} if you had to choose, would you rather live with your parents in the same house forever or 5000 miles away?

That's a hard one. I would probably say live with my dad in the same house forever.

 

{four} is your christmas tree up yet?

No, but I did just finish putting the tree up at my office. It looks awesome.

 

{five} do you bring reusable bags to the grocery store?

Nope.

{six} which would be worse: listening to the same song on replay for the rest of your life or having to eat the same meal everyday for the rest of your life?

Eating the same meal. Although the song thing would be incredibly annoying, too.

 

{seven} name 3 things you are thankful for this season.

Boyfriend. Friends. Family.

 

{eight} do you dye/highlight your hair? if so, do you do it yourself or have it done at the salon?

Yes and I go to the salon. I usually do highlights but every once in a while, I get it dyed.

 

{nine} would you rather watch a movie at home or at the theater?

Home. Snacks and drinks are cheaper at home :)

 

{ten} would you rather win $1000/week for life or $5 million all at once?

$1000 a week for sure. I would NEVER run out of money. Awesome.

And the winners are....

I decided to make my own award because I haven't seen one floating around out there that gives credit to the humor. And that's really what most of us are trying to do right? Get a laugh? Even bloggers that have no interest in writing a humor blog are often funny without trying. To start it off, I'm going to pick a few of my favorite humor blogs. Trust me, you all make me laugh, but I don't think it would be fair to award it to everyone :)

In no particular order...

Simple Dude In a Complex World
Ramblings of an Emotional Idiot
Seriously??...Really?...Seriously?
Batcrap Crazy
Thoughts of an Oxymoron
The Ranter's Box
Wait in the Van

The only rule is to pay it forward. Pick at least 7 blogs that you find funny to pass it on to and be sure to contact them! Also, it never hurts to tell a funny story :)

Birthday Surprises! Part 2

Please read Part 1 or you are going to be completely lost. Dad, stop reading now.

It was like an underground sex club. Penises were at every turn.

My friends had no idea what we had just walked into either. None of us had ever been there and they had just heard it was a male strip club. Oh, there was no stripping involved. You don’t have to strip if you’re already naked.

I wanted out of there, but we couldn’t exactly just turn around and walk out. I felt like everyone was staring at us girls. Like we didn't belong. Hello??...girls like naked men too! Except not so many. And not so strange. And not ones who are standing on the bars and tables playing with themselves so they can keep it up.

{Shakes head to rid the memory}

But anyways, we ordered drinks and found a table. As soon as we sat down, a naked man jumped up on our table and started waving his willy around at us. My other friends were smiling politely and even put a few bucks in his socks.

Me? I was cowering in the corner, trying not to look too rude by covering my eyes. Seriously, I was.
I needed to get drunk. Fast.

I started slamming back drinks until I felt a good buzz. I was really trying not to be ungrateful to my friends, but as soon as I saw some guy hand a naked man some money and then the naked man allowed said guy to touch his penis, I was done. I had witnessed something that my innocent eyes should have never seen.

I yanked Hubby by the collar of his shirt to get his full attention. "Get me the hell out of here. Now.”

Everyone jumped up and agreed with me. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one feeling awkward. I’ve seen male strippers before. It was fun. This was not.

So then we drove across town to another club. We passed one other car on the way and by this time it was going on 1:00 A.M. We really didn’t think many people would be out because the weather was so bad. We parked the truck and got out. I was immediately assaulted with a snow ball to the side of the head.

It was on. In downtown D.C., where there should have been lots of people walking around, my seven friends and I had one serious snow ball fight in the middle of the street. We were screaming and falling running around and just acting like a bunch of kids. By the time we were ready to move on, we were soaked and cold.

We walked up a very quiet street that had absolutely no tire tracks until we reached the club. No one was outside waiting. Again, we presumed we were the only dumbasses out in the snow. We paid our cover charge and walked right in.

The place was PACKED. The energy was amazing and we were greeted with smiling faces. Everyone was having so much fun, it was apparent. We were all crammed into a club on a very snowy and cold day and everyone was just there to have a good time.

We danced and drank all night long and it ended up being one of the best nights of my life. We made new friends, danced on the stage, and annoyed the hell out the D.J.

A bachelorette party tried to steal Hubby away from us, but I wouldn't let them. I told them to get their own hot gay guy. I don't know if they ever did or not.

The next morning, we got up and drove around D.C. We were seriously like the only people around. I’ve been to D.C. quite a few times. Usually it’s nearly impossible to walk anywhere because of all the tourists.

Oh look...people! And a dog.

We drove right up to monuments and then got out and took pictures. When I stepped out into the snow it went a little past my knees. I think the snow accumulated to 25 inches that weekend. It apparently set records. Don’t quote me on that, though.

Washington Monument

No clue what monument this is.

It took us almost eight hours to get home. The interstates weren’t even plowed. There were no lanes. We just drove where we thought the road should be.

Hubby trying to fix wipers.

We stopped and helped people who were hung up in the snow. Cars were deserted all over the place. We found one McDonald’s open in the entire 8 hour drive and finally got some food at about 2:00. Our windshield wipers broke halfway home and we found a Wal Mart that was open along the way to get new ones. Even the Wal Mart was deserted.

And...we were all hung over. I think we had to pull over about ten times so at least one of us could throw up.

It was the greatest birthday...ever.

Sunday, Hubby texted me and said, “Birthday is coming up, Wifey! D.C. again?”

My reply? “Hell yes. Just sans the naked male sex club.”

Trivia time! What is Madonna's last name? As always, first to answer gets to choose the Giggle Button occupant!

Birthday Surprises! Part 1

I have this close circle of friends that consists of 7 people.

Last year on my birthday, said friends decided to make it a huge deal, which they usually do because they love me so much, but last year was a little bit more outrageous than most.

My really hot friend....seriously he's hot, look...

That's him. Except he has a face in real life.

 ...whom I call Hubby (and Boyfriend doesn’t mind because Hubby is gay) made all the plans and his boyfriend, whom I call Fill In Boyfriend (to accompany me to parties and such when real Boyfriend has to work) came and picked me up after work. I was told to pack enough clothes to last me two days and at least one outfit had to be suitable for a night out on the town. That was it.

We stopped by and picked up Hubby on the way and by that time it has started snowing really bad. I wasn’t sure where we were going but I didn’t think we were going to make it.

We drove and drove and drove. I fell asleep. I woke up and the world was covered in snow. Hubby said, “Look out the window, Wifey.” I sat up and wiped the fog off the window. I gasped as I took into view the freaking Capital Building. In Washington D.C. Like 5 hours away from home. And there was soooo much snow!

There's a monument there. Can you see it?

 We checked into an awesome hotel (I don’t remember the name of it) and then I was told to get ready. I assumed we were going out for a night of clubbing and I was thrilled!

And let me tell you, sharing a hotel room with two hot guys that don’t care if you see them in their little undies is awesome. (At this time I didn’t even know Boyfriend, so don’t judge me).

We hopped in the elevator, my excitement and curiosity getting the best of me, and when the doors opened, there stood the remainder of my circle. All dolled up and ready to go. I had no clue they were coming. I was so happy, I nearly cried.

We all piled into ONE vehicle and made our way through the city. Which looked like a ghost town because they had declared a state of emergency. The only other vehicles out were snow plow trucks. The snow was so deep; we were actually pushing it with our Chevy Avalanche. (For the record, the Avalanche was like a freakin’ tank in all that snow. If I ever break down and buy a four wheel drive, that’s what I’m getting.)

Anyways, we arrived at our first destination. The first thing I noticed while walking up to the door was a sign that read, “One male per female.” Um, what? I asked Hubby what the hell was going on and he just said, “Trust me.”

The bouncer counted all of us and made sure each female was accompanied by a male. Then we had to wear a bracelet that said we were actually females. I was seriously surprised they didn’t check our nether regions to make sure. They checked our clutches for cameras and read us the rules about no touching and no cell phones. Weird.

By this time, I was scared. I had no idea what they had brought me to. Then I found out.

I walked in to see a half-a-dozen naked men dancing around.

And by naked, I mean nothing but tube socks. And the three in my group were the only females.

It was almost like a movie, where the music stops and everyone turns to look at the outsiders.

Don't miss part 2 tomorrow!

Yeah, three in one day. I'm bored.

So I was reading Amy's blog and she posted a cute little word thingy and I decided that I totally needed one. Then upon visiting the site, I discovered that you can type in your blog address and words from you blog will come up in this little jumbled mess of words.

And look at that one I circled in red. That's Mynx. I must talk about her a lot, huh? :)

P.S. Thank you so much for checking out my dad's blog. I saw all of your comments and you guys really made me smile. And I know he was shocked to log in to see his followers jump from 2 to like 14. Now to get Boyfriend to start posting regularly....

Trendsetter

I am seriously starting a trend amongst those I love. My dad is now officially a blogger.


Honestly, my dad is hilarious and I'm sure it will show through on his blog.

I would love love love for you guys to hop over there and show him why I love you all so much. Tell him who sent you and leave him some love!

Drool...

Upon asking for suggestions, Mynx said she wanted to know about places I’d like to go for vacation.

I’ve been to tons of places, but there are soooo many things I haven’t seen. So this list does NOT include places I’ve already been, although I could visit Universal Studios every day for the rest of my life.

1. Rome- There is just so much to see and it’s all so beautiful. My first stop would be the Coliseum.

2. Hollywood Walk of Fame- Because, again, I need to add a star for Brad Pitt.

3. Japan- Prettttttty lights. I also very much like going to places that speak a different language and experiencing the different culture.

4. Australia- And I’m not just saying that for Mynx. My dad lived in Australia for two years and to this day I still go through his old photo albums and long to go there.

Photo

5. Ireland- I would love to have my camera out all day taking photos of the beautiful scenery.

6. Greece- It’s just so beautiful.

Boyfriend can come too if he wants. :)

Shit Boyfriend Makes Me Watch vol 2

Holy crap. I logged on this morning and saw this...

That's right. My dad is now a reader of Jumble Mash. I called him up and said, "so ugh, what do you think about it?" I was bracing myself for, "You curse a lot." or something of the sort, but instead he said, "It's a great blog and you are a good writer. I may start one of my own." HA! My dad is going to be a blogger. Gotta love it.

Anyways, back to the real reason for posting.

This week's movie was In Bruges. First of all, let me just say...Colin Farrell and his sexy eyebrows. Yummy.

I actually ended up really liking this British comedy. And I'm a sucker for an accent.

Colin Farrell plays along side Brendan Gleeson as two hitmen in hiding. It cracks me up because Farrell is constantly complaining about being In Bruges and voices his negative opinion about the place throughout the movie.

But anyways, being in hiding Farrell (Ray) and Gleeson (Ken) really start to question themselves. During Ray's last job, he accidentally killed a little boy which is the reason they have been sent into hiding.

Ray's guilt about the situation pretty much eats at him even though he is trying to move on and then Ken is ordered to kill Ray because what he did was unforgivable, according to their employer.

As Ken is walking up behind Ray to kill him, he realizes that Ray is in the process of killing himself. Ken, then realizes that he cares about Ray too much to follow through with the orders. He warns Ray and convinces him to leave the city.

Ray is arrested for assaulting a couple and sent back to Bruges...where his employer is now hunting him.

I really don't want to give away too much of the ending because the ending it AWESOME but I will say that Ken puts Ray's life ahead of his own while trying to save him.

This movie is full of bad language and violence so watch it when the kiddies aren't around, but be sure to watch it. It's funny, adventurous, and exciting. The plot sounds more depressing than it actually is.

My rating?

Shiny Turkey Award!

Me, Myself and I from Ramblings of an Emotional Idiot has given me the Shiny Turkey Award.

Cool, huh? Thank you so much! Everyone needs to go over and check out her blog. She cracks me up!

Of course, there are rules to this award. I have to write about an experience that has to do with food, intoxication, cooking/baking or the holidays. Then, pass it on to a few blogs of my choice.

So first, here are the blogs I've chosen.

A Bitch Called Mom
Absolutely Narcissism
The Loaded Handbag

I cannot wait to hear their stories. I absolutely love these blogs.

I really had to think about what story I would tell because I wanted it to be about the holidays but I have so many holiday memories I wasn't sure which to choose.

But finally I chose to tell ya'll about a Christmas at my grandpa's house.

On my dad's side of the family, we have lost too many loved ones. My grandmother passed away when I was sixteen and three of four of my uncles have passed away. We've had Christmas in that house every year since I've been alive. It's different now, because so many people are missing.

But the last year that we were all together, was one of the best I can remember. My grandpa's house isn't big by any means. And my grandma had eight kids of her own, and then those kids had children. I have like 22 first cousins. Its ridiculous. We all crammed into that tiny house every Christmas and it was AWESOME.

That year,  my dad had bought my youngest cousin and ball pit. You know, like the ones at McDonald's? But the actual pit looked like a swimming pool and you actually had to blow it up and then pour the balls into it.

Well, they decided to go ahead and put it up right then and there. It took up the entire living room. Then my dad decided that he would get inside the ball pit with my little cousin.

Then, a war broke out.

It started with my little cousin throwing a ball at her dad. Then my dad threw a ball at my uncle. Then those little plastic multicolored terrors were flying through the house everywhere. My grandma was yelling at us, but no one was listening.

Balls were zooming passed by head and I could think of nothing better than to get out my video camera and document the whole thing. As soon as I started recording, a ball hit me right in the eye. The video shows me dropping the camera and cursing up a storm.

Then I picked the camera back up and watched. I was just an innocent bystander by I bet you I got hit about 100 times. The younger kids all started to join in (yes, it was only the adults at first) and the uncles started using the children as shields.

Then someone, and to this day no one will admit it, broke my grandma's lamp. She came into the living room and started collecting the balls from us and scolded each and every one of us. That video is very precious to me. And I wish I still had it. Someone stole my camera along with all of my tapes from my old apartment. At least I still have the memory.

That'll kill the Christmas spirit

AMCHornet wanted to hear me complaining and since I do that nearly every Friday, I am going to dedicate this post to her. She didn’t have anything in particular she wanted me to bitch about, so I’ve chosen to not do the 5 Things That Drive Me Crazy and instead focus on something that is really worth complaining about.


First of all, I must say, I work for a coal company so yes, my opinion is probably biased.

I live in West Virginia. West Virginia is coal country. You think people would know that by now? Yeah, well they don’t. People that have just moved here and holding protest meetings to try and shut down our mines. Why in the Hell would you move to coal country if you don’t like the fact that we do indeed mine? That’s like moving next to an airport and complaining about the noise.

Anyways, I learned yesterday that we lost our permit to mine. That means that right before Christmas, dozens of people are going to get laid off. Most of them were just hired in August when we obtained the permit. Some have been with us for years. In six months, I may not have a job.

This is in large part due to coal haters. Our mine was once shut down because environmentalists thought we were killing bugs in a pond. Bugs! Bugs were chosen over the livelihood of many employees. Real, breathing people with real families to take care of. I hit 1,000 bugs with my car while driving to work every day, but no one has ever tried to take my license.

People are always trying to find a way to get money from us and when they can’t, they protest. We pay for any damages we cause. We reclaim every site we mine. Then usually give it away. One place that we owned, we gave away and now a school, a fitness center, and a fair ground is there. Concerts are held there all summer long. Fairs are held there. My point? We don’t totally ruin the land.

We pay lots of money to buy the land we mine. Sometimes we buy the land and the houses that sit on it. Granted, the home owners have to then move, but they didn’t have to sell to us. And it’s not even those people, whose lives are uprooted and they have to start over that complain. No, it’s the neighbors that don’t like the noise of the coal trucks. They don’t like the dust that the trucks create. They don’t like when the ground shakes when we blast. Those are the top complaints.

Don’t move across the street for a coal mine and then complain about the noise.

If they don’t like the dust, they need to call the trucking companies (for we own no coal trucks) and complain to them.

By law, we are required to give them the option to complete a pre-blast survey. So that means, when we use a bunch of explosives to break the land, they are entitled to fill out the survey, have someone come assess their home and then if we cause any damage, we promptly fix it. And it’s the people who didn’t fill out the surveys that complain. I’d say they had a crack in their foundation before the blasting ever started and they are trying to get us to pay for it.

If these same people who attend every meeting about the coal companies would also attend every meeting about cutting down trees to build strip malls, putting up apartments for the college students everywhere you turn, removing our green earth to put in a parking lot, and gasoline and diesel fuel polluting our air I probably wouldn’t complain. But these people are focused on one thing and one thing only. Coal.

They don’t realize by them complaining about bugs and dust that they are actually causing many families to do without because their husband or wife has just been laid off. Kids may not get to even have much of a Christmas because parents have no idea how long it will be until they find a job again. I know even without children, I will lose a lot. Not to mention the co-workers that I’ve been with for years and have become like family to me.

My message to them? Just leave us alone! WE GIVE YOU ELECTRICITY FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!

Please don't unfollow me! :)

Insert Witty Title

Thank you all so much for voting, as always. Here are the results.

This is out of 27 votes. Even if you follow 1 blog, you are awesome in my book. Do you know how much us blogger's love our followers? Seriously. Followers are to bloggers what alcohol is to an alcoholic. No joke.

I personally follow 96 blogs. It takes me hours...I mean hours, to go through my reading list every day and try to comment. Sometimes, I just don't comment because I have no clue what to say, but I read them...every day. It's my morning routine.

I come in, sit at my desk, open up Blogger, post, then start reading. Usually by noon, I've caught up on everything and start on my actual work. It's my favorite part of the day. Honestly.  Then after I finish my real work, I log back on and check to see if there have been anymore updates. (I think I may be obsessed)

You bloggers make me laugh, cry, rant, ooo and awe first thing in the morning. My commenters make me so happy that no matter what kind of work bullshit I'm putting up with, its ok. I can escape here.

So thank you. Everyone. This Thanksgiving at the dinner table when I'm asked what I'm thankful for, I'm going to say my blogging friends. My grandparents are going to look at me like I've grown two heads and probably think that blogging is some kind of illegal activity. Boyfriend will say, "Gee Thanks." My sisters will start going on and on about which posts they liked the best. My mom will laugh and act like she has a clue.

Yep. I'm going to take over Thanksgiving conversation. No one's thankful speech will beat mine.

Anyways, back to being a follower, this week I am recommending *Dandelion Wishes*. I absolutely adore this blog. She is also doing an amazing giveaway. Go check her out and enter for a chance to win a whole blog makeover!




Ok! New poll for the week!

What is your status?

It only takes a second to vote!

Also, Barb won the Giggle Button trivia this week by answering In the TV series MASH, what is Radar's surname? first. The answer was indeed O'Reilly. Go click the button. Do it. 

Isn't Radar adorable? I heart him.

P.S. I'm trying to think of a reoccurring title for my Thursday poll results, Giggle Button winner, and blog recommendation. I'm coming up short. Anyone got any ideas?

Wee Bit Wednesday

{one} what time do you normally wake up?

I get up at 7:00 am every weekday, unless I allow myself to sleep an extra 15 minutes. On weekends, I'm usually up by 9:00 am.

{two} do you have a go-to song for karaoke?

I have only sang karaoke one time in public and I sang I Love Rock and Roll. I will never sing in public again.

{three} if you could only see black and white except for one color, what color would you choose to see?

Pink, just because it's perty.

{four} what color best matches your personality?

Erm, pink? Red maybe?

{five} if you could choose one meal to cook better than anyone else, what would it be?

Probably turkey. My family raves about my aunt's turkey and no one can beat it. I want to be the turkey cooker, so everyone will tell me how awesome I am.

{six} how many keys do you have on your key ring?

Six. Front Door, Back Door, Garage Door, Basement Door, Car and Boyfriend's Car

{seven} do you give your pets birthday/christmas gifts?

Yes. My dog gets a ton of goodies for his birthday and usually for Christmas he gets a stocking full of toys.

{eight} when your plate has different foods on it, do you mix or not?

Sometimes, depending on what it is. I don't really care if they mix. My step brother has to eat everything on separate plates because he can't stand his food touching.

UPDATE: How in the HELL did I miss the last two?!

{nine} if you could hire someone to do one thing for you all the time, what would it be?

My hair. I wish someone would wake up with me every morning and do my hair in a different way every day.

{ten} when flying, do you prefer the window or aisle seat?

Window. No doubt. I get really motion sick.

It's a Love Story

Ok, I warn you now that this post is going to be long, but Free Flying wanted to hear a long lost love story and as promised, I tend to deliver. Although, I don’t think it qualifies as a long lost love story, but this is my love story. Mynx also wanted to hear about how Boyfriend and I met, so I hope you enjoy.

As I previously mentioned, every boyfriend I’ve ever had has cheated on me. My first real boyfriend and I started dating when I was 15 and I practically let him cheat on me because I thought I was so in love. The first time I found out about him cheating, he apologized and I forgave him. Then it happened over and over and over again. Total came out to 6 different girls and only God knows how many times it actually happened.

After him came a wonderful man with whom I just had nothing in common. We got along well and he was so very handsome but we just didn’t click. We toughed it out longer than we should have and eventually he started seeing some girl he worked with and then left me a short time later for said girl.

Then there was the bad boy. He was fun and exciting and kept me on my toes. As soon as I found out he was cheating on me with my best friend, I dumped both of them. I wasn’t having it anymore.

So there was a couple more after that. Same old story. I fell in love. They cheated. My most recent ex and I dated for 3 years and ended up nearly hating each other before we called it quits. We would scream at each other and say really mean things for the sole purpose of hurting one another.

After him, I decided that I was going to take time out for just me. I didn’t want to date anyone. I couldn’t trust anyone and I was extremely tired of getting hurt. So for about two years, I remained single. I was asked out, but would always make up some excuse. I was having fun by myself and didn’t worry about anyone but myself. I did what I wanted when I wanted.

Then, I finally started dating again. I went on a horrible streak of bad first dates. Set ups, blind dates, dates with guys that were friends. None of them ever made it to a second date. This one guy in particular seemed very nice when we first started talking on the phone. It was winter and it took us a while to meet because of the weather, but when we finally did, the date was a train wreck. He was very clingy and kept trying to feel me up. ON OUR FIRST DATE! Through the course of the date, I just kept wondering how I was going to get rid of him. When I dropped him off at his house (no, he didn’t have his license!) he tried to kiss me and I backed up. I told him I just wasn’t ready. Then he tried to invite me inside. I made excuses and finally got the Hell out of there.

He texted me and called me constantly after that. He even went to the pet store and bought a chinchilla and named it after me! After one freaking date! When I finally told him to stop calling he said (and I quote) “Ok, that’s cool. Do you wanna go on a ski trip with me and my family?”

I hung up on him and decided then and there that I wasn’t going on anymore dates. I canceled on a lot of people that were trying to set me up. Sometimes I would wait until the day of the date and then call the guy and make up some excuse as to why I couldn’t go.

Months later, I was being set up again. We exchanged phone numbers through friends and he eventually texted me. His first words were, “Hey, I thought I’d take some time out of my video gaming to associate with the outside world. How are you?”

I smiled at the text, because I could definitely relate to that and replied. For weeks we tried to set up a date but his schedule always conflicted with my schedule. So I kinda thought it was never going to happen but talking on the phone and texting each other was nice, so I continued. He sent me a friend request on Facebook and I browsed through is pictures and was very pleased with what I saw.

Finally, he called and asked me to go to dinner with him. I started panicking. I immediately went into get-the-Hell-out-of-this mode and tried to think of excuses to get away from him. I couldn’t. My friends told me that I should go and deep down, I really wanted to.

But then, he called and said he had to work late and couldn’t go. He cancelled on me! I was furious, but then I knew how the guys felt that I cancelled on. Karma is a bitch, especially to me.

So then one night, I went to Wal Mart for the midnight release of New Moon (don’t judge me) and got a text from him. Conversation had been light after he had cancelled and I’d kinda written him off. He asked me what I was doing and I told him. After he made fun of me, he told me to have a good time. I put my phone in my pocket and continued waiting in line.

An hour later, I get tapped on my shoulder. I spun around to see this beautiful man in front of me. I recognized him from his pictures on Facebook. He smiled and said, “It’s nice to finally meet you.” I immediately hugged him as if I’d known him forever and he hugged back. I made my BFF stand in my place in line and for two hours we walked around Wal Mart and talked. He was amazing. Better than I had imagined.

Upon leaving, he asked me on a real date. Thrilled, I accepted and then we parted our ways.

When date night came, I was terribly nervous and going over and over in my head all the things that could go wrong. BFF was there helping me get ready and offering tons of moral support (thanks again BFF) and I looked at her and said, “This is my last first date. After this one, I’m seriously done.” She laughed at me, but I wasn't. I hadn’t been on a second date in years and I didn’t get my hopes up about this one.

We met at a restaurant. We were both clearly nervous, but looking back, it was adorable. He was a perfect gentleman. Didn’t try to feel me up at all! Imagine that! We ate our meals and then talked for hours. We never had any awkward silences and had so much in common. At one point he said, “You know, I really thought you would cancel on me.” If only he’d known how many times I’d cancelled in the past. (I asked him later on why he had said that and he said because he just had a feeling that I would.)

We stayed at the restaurant until the waiter started looking at us like we were freakin' crazy, probably because we were taking up a table on a busy night. So he paid for dinner and then walked me to my car. A huge ball of nerves swelled in my stomach because I thought he was going to kiss me. But he didn’t. He hugged me and told me to have a good night.

Of course, it wasn’t what I was use to, so I wasn’t sure if he was actually into me or not. A real gentleman was a whole new ball game for me. And he was very hard to read.

I immediately called my BFF and she answered the phone with, “So how are we getting rid of him?” and I said, “No, no! It was the best first date, ever!” She couldn’t believe it and neither could I.

Two hours later, not two days, not two weeks, but two hours later, he texted me and told me he had a great time and would love to go out again.

And so we did. We went on a few more dates until I finally asked him to come to my house for a movie night. He did and again was a perfect gentleman. Didn’t even try to kiss me! Then, we had another movie night a couple days later. We were laughing at something other people probably wouldn’t laugh at, and I was surprised that his sense of humor was so much like mine. I looked over at him and he looked at me. Without even thinking, I leaned in and kissed him. Then we made out for like an hour on the couch. ;) Then he got up and went home. That’s right, he didn’t try anything else. We just kissed.

A week later and after seeing each other nearly every day, he asked if I would officially be his girlfriend and I accepted. For the first time in years, I was in a relationship. And I never even hesitated. I trusted him already and it felt as if I’d known him longer than what I really had. After all, we were so much alike, he was practically me with a penis.

The next week, I went to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. I missed him like crazy. The day I got back, he came over and I ran into his arms just like in the movies. He kissed me feverishly and told me he loved me for the first time. I knew right then, that I had found the one, if such a thing exists.

You all know him as Boyfriend. We live together now and are as happy as ever. He is very sweet to me and I don’t think he would ever betray or hurt me. I have given him my whole heart and he is very careful with it. After all, he has been hurt, too.

Growing to know each other better, we discovered that we don’t have everything in common. Where he is a bit of a workaholic, I hate work. But his motivation gives me motivation. And my refusal to listen to him talk about work all the time has helped him leave work at work. Where he loves snow and cold weather, I hate it. But his excitement makes the cold a little more bearable. We complete each other. We laugh constantly. We teach each other new things all the time. From our pasts, we have both grown to appreciate a good thing and not take a minute for granted. Not to mention when we do have an argument, we sit down and talk it out instead of screaming at each other. We never name call and if one of us is wrong, we admit it instead of defending ourselves, making everything worse. I’m not saying we haven’t had any problems, because what relationship doesn’t, but I am saying that I wouldn’t trade him for the world and the minor issues we have had, were just that. Minor.

And didn't I say it was going to be my last first date? :)

Thanks for sticking it out! I know ya'll have many more things to do than read a long post so I appreciate it. Ready for trivia?

In the TV series MASH (yes another MASH question), what was Radar's surname?

I always thought Radar and I could have been BFF's.