I always believed that I created the path my life was to lead....

My dad, sister and I moved to Phoenix when I was fifteen. Even then I had the next three years mapped out for myself. I was in a new school, and this was my chance to make up for crappy hand I was delt my Freshman year. And my plan was working. I was doing better in school, had decent grades, took more classes than required, and have after school activites to keep me busy. That was until June 16, 1988.

Haven't seen the sweat soaken six-pack garden guy lately. We're going to try to head over to Chapel Hill today as long as the rains stay away. College boys. Who doesn't love that?

I think we're also going to the mall to walk around and see the sights. Did ya know they had malls here?

I think after this trip I will need to fried fat ass into the gym ASAFP.

What in Tarnation is Tarheel? Good morning from AZ, or afternoon to you. Glad you are feeling better. I'm eager to see all of the pictures from your trip. Especially the houses. And the garden guy....

I went to see the allergist today. He gave me tons of drugs to help with my cat allergies. So far everything seems to be working. No wheezing, sniffling, or itchy throat. Still have red eyes, but that may be from this morning. I'm in such a better mood too.

I think we're going to headd into Chapel Hill tomorrow. I need my dose of Tarheel mania.

Whatever time it is, it's damn early! I just woke up for lords knows why. The hurricane rains are here, it's been pouring all night. Rain here is different than the monsoon rains of the desert. Back home the skies open up and it pours like buckets for about 15 minutes and you're done. It is kinda soothing to hear the rain on the windows.

Teresa and I are suppose to go head into Chapel Hill later today. If it's raining, I'm not sure I want to. Too much hassle to deal with rain and a baby. I guess I should have packed more dvd's. My sister so needs a TV in the guest room. It's the only room in the house where I can breathe and feel normal. Even just going to the bathroom made me all stuffy!

If you are reading this blog over the next week or so and nothing seems to make sense...well that's because Brian and I have our own secret language. We'll try our best to make some sense. Now on to the conversation:

Did Boobs have a hard night of drinking and stripping?

Dude you so need a camera phone...

This morning was pretty interesting without you. Boobs showed up this morning asking in a husky voice, TALL MOCHA PLEASE. Do you love my little HAWAII shorts I'm wearing... And a tall sexy man.... Miss you....

So we went for some of the best BBQ I've ever had yesterday. Pictures are on the photoblog. Food is just so good! I'm trying to be good on my diet, but it's been so long since I've such great southern cooking. One thing that I can control is the intake of sweet tea. If you've never been to the south when you as for ice tea, it's sweet. And damn is it good! So I have to do better and ask for un-sweet when we go out. It also doesn't help much that everything can be fried. Oh how I love fried foods, and in the south they know how to do it right. It's a delicate balance between cornmeal and flour.

Maggie is just adorable. She is such a happy baby. We're headed to Hendersonville for the apple festival this Friday. I'm curious to see how my Mom will react to her or if she'll have any reaction.

We went to the SuperTarget last night to get a new suitcase, and we stopped for gas on the way home. I'd never seen so many rednecks and their trucks in one place before. Everyone smokes out here too. Smokes are so much cheaper than out west. Maybe it's because everyone has their own tobacco fields in their backyards.

So not much going on today. My allergies are kicking my ass. My sister has two cats. I don't know when I became allergic to cats, but I am all puffy and stuffy now. The meds I got from the doctor are much help unless I take a huge dose. Then I'm too drugged up for much of anything.

I made it to Raleigh in lickty-split time...My suitcase zipper broke as I was leaving home. Now I have to get a new one before I leave...I arrived in the dark, so not much to tell you about the scenery. The neighborhood my sister lives in is really nice. Love the houses. Brian you'll totally love these houses (dude don't worry I'll take tons of pictures).

It's 330am here, and I'm wide awake. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.

Jones Soda's

You know, I've seen these foo-foo sodas all over the place, but I've never had one myself. I bought one bottle of D'Peached Mode, but it remains unopened on my bookshelf. You can tell why I bought it right? HE HE HE.

This looks like it would a really cool Christmas gift. If I could get all the doggies in the family in one room, I think it would make a great bottle picture. Am I asking for trouble here?

If you watch VH1's Best Week Ever series you may have noticed that several comedians wear a t-shirt with the word "POOP" on it. I must have that shirt.

Does anyone know where I can pick one up? Anyone?

Pretty in Pink

Do you love it? Thank you Melissa for sending these my way. I'm placing my order right now. I'm all gitty with joy. Happy Happy Joy Joy!

I've had the worst weekend this past week. I don't even want to get into it for fear of thowing up over it. I've barely eaten a thing in the last 24 hours. See when I get depressed I don't eat. I just curl up in the fetal position and sleep. It's when I'm happy I eat.

But the week should end up better. I leave for Raleigh on Friday to see Maggie. That should be fun. I grew up in North Carolina, but I've never been to Raleigh so this should be fun. I hear that all the furniture shops in Hickory are having a huge sale this week. Like I so did not need to hear that. I guess Hickory is where Pottery Barn gets their furniture. Maybe I can get a couch cover at a cheap price?

I went to see Garden State again yesterday. When I saw the movie last weekend it totally made me think of my friend Frank. And not because he has a freakishly weird obsession with Nataile Portman. So I asked him to come see it with me yesterday. I also went in search of the soundtrack this weekend, but I could not find it anywhere in the stores. I did find a partial iTunes iMix of the soundtrack. It's missing a few songs, so when I get home I'll post a link to my playlist of the full soundtrack.

Once again the scene 'home is a place where you store your shit' hit close to home. Maybe it's because Courtney and I are desperately hard to buy the house right now and we keep hitting wall after wall with his father who asked us to buy the house in the first place. But probably more so the fact that I have not had a place to call home in such a long time that I really miss that comfort of a space I can call my own. That's a feeling that I have not had since my father remarried.

My class got canceled for Saturday, and that was to be my last class in the kitchen. I'm a little bummed. I decided in June that I was going to take a reduction in my workloads in order to get more time to me. But it's all so weird you know...I've had two, or three jobs since 1996. I suppose it will take some getting used to.

I signed up for a quilting class next month. I'm pretty excited about that. I have this massive quit that I made as wedding present to Sean and Cathy, but I never finished it. I'm actually afraid of it now, but my goal is to get it finished by Christmas this year. As well as make a couple quilts for baby Maggie, Brian and Carrie.

Not much going on this week. I'm working the late shift at work for the next few days. It's not so bad. I don't feel so rushed in the morning and it gets really quiet around here after the market closes. I've got the tunes on and I'm getting the job done.

Get ready......are you sitting down?

Just announced.....Depeche Mode is going to release Devotional on DVD Sept. 21 in the USA!

Loads of extras including tour books and the MTV documentary.

I could just pee my pants!

*Update*
Coming soon a Re-Mix album! Very cool...I can't wait for this one!

Take a moment to stop whatever you're doing for a moment of silence for our loved ones that have passed on recently.

Such a great movie. It's been such a long time since a movie has come along that just really blows me over. Garden State was great. The writing/direction was amazing, Zach Braff has such a talent. I really identified with the main character when he expresses the feeling of coming home, yet home isn't what you remembered. Such a great scene, I won't spoil it for you. Just go see it!

To the pesuedo punk-rock wanna be girl with the red shirt from Hot Topic:
I'm sorry you think Phoenix is such a wasteland of blandness. Not everyone can be as artistically diverse as you appear to be. Thank God! Do us all a favor and go back from where you came. I'm sure they have a Hot Topic there too.

Ok had to get that out of the way. This girl was lame. All she did was whine about how Phoenix sucks and why is this movie playing on one screen in Maricopa County. She was a total downer. Oh, the movie runs a little long, so go potty before you sit down.

This movie so needs to come out on DVD like now!

I cut it all off. My hair that is. I've been trying to grow it out for so long now and it really wasn't going past my neckline. It's curly now and really can be a pain in the ass to keep up. So no more, it gone.

I'll post pictures as soon as I get the camera back from Brian. He's going to have house pictures to show us soon. YEAHH!

Courtney and I are going to go see Garden State today. I can't wait! Them some errans..and maybe he'll whip me up something yummy for dinner tonight.

I'm making Biscotti tomorrow! Chocolate Hazelnut and Ginger Almond. Yummy!

MSNBC - Julia Child: bon appétit

I got the chance to meet the Goddess of Culinary just as I finished Culinary school. She could tell amazing stories, and it was just facinating to listen to her.

Julia you will be missed.

A Better Image Rotator: A List Apart

I just finished reading this article about rotating images. I know that there are many blogs out there that use the old script. For me it works, but I never understood how it worked. Read this article. The new script is simple and easy to understand.

If you love coding and design A List Apart is a great resource. I highly reccommend bookmarking it!

I just posted a new picture of Maggie on my photoblog.

Go check it out if you're in the mood for cuteness

If you've been reading my blog over the last two years you'll know that my realtionship with my father was very rough right up to when he passed away two years ago. There are still so many strong feelings about my father that I haven't even begun to straighten out. Therapy has only cracked the surface, and I've been in therapy consistently since the day after he died.

I had to call my step-monster today. I have had no contact with her since my father passed. She is the main reason why I've had no realtionship with my father. Since they married, she has managed to manipulate my father to the point where he didn't acknowledge that he even had two grown daughters.

Crap I have to work now...more on this later

These were on sale at Safeway yesterday, $2.39 6 packs per box. I'd hate to see what the regular price would be. I bought the Oreo and Cheese Nips. So far the Oreo ones kick ass. It's nice to have them portioned out for you, then you don't run into the risk of "Holy shit! I ate the WHOLE box in one sitting!". If you're like me and need something a little sweet to finish off a meal, then this is a great palette pleaser.

Still nothing replaces a Double Stuff OREO.

There has been contact with Joey.

I'm not sure what to do with it. I want to help him get the help he needs, but I'm not so sure that he is ready for help. I'm afraid to that if I help that he may suck me into his mess. I'm really not sure what to do or if there is anything I can to. I have put it out there to him that I am here wanting to help, just has to ask and want it. Maybe that's enough for now...

It's probably not a good idea to wear your name tag upside-down when the CEO of your company stops in for a visit. In a room of six people, I think he noticed.

I get the asshat award for the day.

THE EDGE 103.9 DOT COM

If you ever wanted to influence local radio in the Phoenix area now is your chance. There is also a phone number for the station owner. I'll post that later, I have it written down somewhere.

Remember the days of KUKQ? That's alternative radio at it's best.

Yahoo! News - Study: Flu in Pregnancy Linked to Schizophrenia

It's bad enough that it runs in my family. Now I'm just plain scared to have kids. I don't want to pass this horrible disease to my kids.

Brian is back from his vacation! He decided to play good and go to work today, and since Courtney had to be up at 430am, I thought that I would meet up with Brian at our favorite Starbucks and then head to the gym.

About 10 days ago I did something to my left foot, and now I can barely walk on it. Yesterday at the mall every step I took resulted in a painful popping sound. I have no idea what I did to it, but it hurts like a motherfucker! It's not swollen from what I can tell, but it hurts so bad that I'm going to call the Doctor in the am.

Needless to say that my trip to gym wasn't as long as normal. I got on the treadmill for about 10 minutes, and had to get off before I made an ass out of myself. So I did the machines for the next hour instead. Still the pain in my abs and shoulders can't make me forget about my foot.