Tagged!

Aw thanks, Jill! I have always wanted to get tagged. I feel like I am a real part of the blogger world now!  Well, I guess this is the part where I tell you 7 interesting things about myself. It’s a lot more difficult that I thought it would be, but here’s my shot.

1. In 2004 I went to the Oprah show in Chicago.  They sat us on the second row right behind the guests. The topic of the show was “Inside the Lives” and it was basically an update on past show guests.  The only “famous” guests were the Roloff family from the show Little People Big World.” That, of course, was way before they got their own TLC show.  I did see myself when the show aired, sadly it was just my chin, neck, and earrings.  I don’t think Oprah was in a good mood that day…She seemed kinda grumpy. Not what I was hoping for.

2.  Two weeks after the Sept. 11 tragedy, I got on an airplane and flew to London. That might be the single most terrifying 8 solid hours of my life. I cried almost the entire time that I was in the air. I also drank an airplane bottle of Jack Daniels as I sat next to my grandmother. That alone is something that I would never consider doing, but if you ask me, it was necessary.

3. We painted our living room and dining room this week….I think I might  have made a bad decision on the color. I am hoping a new couch might make it look better.                  

4. I cannot wait to get flowers for my yard. It makes me feel so alive to get outside in the Spring and plant flowers that are going to die in a few short weeks. I have very good intentions, just not much of a green thumb.  AG already has her little pink shovel ready to go!

5. I am really trying to grow a garden. I know it’s early, but I started my tomatoes, ( 3 different varieties) cucumbers, okra, watermelon & cantelope inside a few weeks ago.  Now I have beautiful baby plants. I just hope they survive long enough to make it into the ground.  Better yet, I hope I don’t get bored with it.

6. I have a very expensive BFA that I don’t do anything with. I do know how to tint and mix paint, but I don’t think that requires a fine arts degree…..By the way, everyone should check out our paint store. It’s a full service Glidden store and we sell Wholesale Paint and suppplies, hence the name, Wholesale Paint and Supply.

7. Please pray for our dear friends Rob and Jill Mckamey.  Rob is our associate pastor/youth leader at church. These two have had a really difficult time when it comes to having babies.  At 28 weeks pregnant, Jill delivered twin girls today and we are praying that the good Lord has mercy on this family. No one deserves happieness more than these two. So, If you are a praying kind of person, Please say a quick one for this family.

For Sale

I am selling my couch and love seat. Please, buy them!

Both are in very good condition and are not even 2 years old yet. I had them custom made by lazy boy when we bought our house, yet I was never happy with the color.  Why on  God’s green earth did I think that a sage green couch was going to make me happy?!  Not only do I dislike the couch, but I can’t stand the rest of the colors in the my house.  That’s why it’s getting painted. YAY!!!!! I swear to myself that this time I am going to make ALL OF MY OWN DECISIONS. No influence or input from anyone other than myself! It was a bad idea to hire a decorator that is probably 40 or more years older than me in the first place.

So, if you’re interested, the price of the couch and love seat is $1800. I will never get close to the amount that we paid for them, but it will do. I just want them out of here.

Read it

I just have to tell you one thing.

read this: http://www.dooce.com/2008/03/25/chucks-heightened-sense-awesome

If you don’t visit this site, I insist that you check it out.

busy week

Sorry for the lack of posts, life has been in the way.

This past week has been pretty busy and a little exciting for us.  Last Tuesday we held the ribbon cutting for our new family business, Wholesale Paint & Supply. It’s really an “adventure” that D and my grandfather put together, but all of us lend a helping hand when needed. Heck, I even learned how to tint paint! D better watch out, with all of that fresh tint-able paint at my fingertips, every room in our house is bound to be painted!  If you’re in the market for good paint and supplies at wholesale prices, check us out! On Wednesday I went to the Dr. for my monthly prenatal check up and Glucose test thingie. I had to be checked a little bit earlier than most people because my dad is diabetic and I guess that might make me more of a gestational diabetes target.  Fortunately, my test was negative. I was able to hear the heart beat again, which is always a welcome sound. So far, I am sailing into the second trimester which begins tomorrow!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!  Friday started off with Fried Rice. Yeah, fried rice. I was asked by one of our local newspaper reporters to submit a recipe for the featured recipe of the week. I made Japanese Steakhouse fried rice, which is very very good! AG and I had our picture made with the rice and it should be in the paper tomorrow morning. I just hope I don’t look like a swollen cow. It’s always embarrassing to have crappy photo in the paper for everyone to see. That brings us to this weekend. DG, AG, and I went to the hospital to visit my grandfather who is recuperating from knee replacement surgery. Hopefully he will be home tomorrow, Your prayers are always welcome!

I hope all of you had a great week! 

Cooking Classes

Today, I want to tell you about a place that I love. I don’t get to go often because it’s in Franklin and schedules don’t always mesh. It is also a bit on the expensive side, yet completely worth every dime.

It’s The Viking Cooking School. Viking offers all kinds of class that interest just about every taste out there. They range from Southern foods, French, Grilling, knife skills, all the way to Japanese and desserts. It’s pretty much like being in the middle of the Food Network. So far, I have only taken a Japanese Steak House class and Advanced Cake decorating. In May, my dad and I are going to celebrate his birthday with a sushi workshop.

Most, but not all of the classes are hands on. The Japanese steak house class was conducted in a large cooking “theatre.” A group or 7 of us sat around a large counter with a hibachi grill in front of us. The chef taught us how to make the ginger dressing for the salad, that fantastic fried rice, Kobe steak, grilled vegetables and all of the dipping sauces. Not only did we learn how to make the meal, but we got to eat it too! That class would be perfect for a date night. The Advanced cake decorating class was held in my dream kitchen. That part feels like Food Network. You get to work in such a nice kitchen with everything at arms reach. I have to say that the absolute best part did not have to clean up after myself!

It’s really a great experience. If you have a little time and would like to learn more about gourmet cooking, I highly recommend taking a class. Check it out: http://www.vikingcookingschool.com/hc-cgi-bin/hc?t…

This morning I posted a blog on my Times-Gazette blog about an unpleasent conversation I had with a lady that works at a restarunt. My T-G blog has stirred up a bit of comment action. Some in my favor and others not in my favor. I am ok with people not seeing the same point of view as me. That’s what the whole blog thing is for, opinions. I am going to copy my earlier blog to this site. Tell me what you think.

“Let’s talk about customer service.

Today is my husband’s birthday. We made plans and reservations to go out to eat and celebrate. Darrell chose to eat at the new Walking Horse Hotel in Wartrace because we had heard such good things about their food and atmosphere. Yesterday, I called and made reservations for five and assumed that we were all set.

Fast forward to this morning and I recieve a phone call to confirm our reservation. I tell the lady that we will be attending then she procedes to tell me that she hopes that we don’t have any babies or small children in the party because that makes an unplesant experience for other diners…etc…I informed her that we do have a 3 year old in the party and I cancel the reservation.

First, I should have been informed when I made the reservation that children are not welcome at the hotel on the weekends. That would have saved a lot of trouble.

In addition, the delivery of the information was a bit rude.

So, if you have heard all of the nice things about the restaurant as I did, please go and enjoy it. Drop the kids off at McDonalds. They are not welcome at the Walking Horse Hotel. “

Leave it to me

On Tuesday I had my yearly eye exam. Typically, my eye dr. visits are pretty boring and lack the excitement that my dear husbands” ensue. (Everything he does has a story) Not this time!  I knew that my prescription in my right eye had gone down hill. Back in November I had a really ugly eye infection that I know damaged my vision. I haven’t been able to see well out of it since then. The bad thing is, that’s my decent eye. Anyway, as Dr. Dabbs was doing her fantastic eye exam magic, she couldn’t quite figure out why my right eye wouldn’t focus. She had taken a few of those “eyeball photos” at the beginning of the exam and noticed some swelling on my macula. I wasnt’ exactly freaked out at that point, but I was well on my way.   We carried on with my exam and I even picked out some cute Kate Spade frames. At the end of the appointment, she told me that she was going to send me to another eye dr. In Murfreesboro the next day. She wanted them to do what is basically the equivalent to an ultrasound of the eye. She also told me that I would be there about 5 minutes.  So, yesterday I loaded up and headed to the big city of Murfreesboro for my “quick” eye ultrasound.

Two hours, two tests, two eye exams, and two doctors later, it was discovered that I, a 28 year old female have a cataract. Who has freakin’ cataracts at 28? It’s very very small and they don’t expect it to grow any time soon, so no surgery is involved. I have to say  that I am pleased with the outcome. If they t figure it out at the office in M’boro, they were going to have to send me for an MRI. It potentially could’ve been something in my brain pressing on my optic nerve. I am so thankful to God that it’s just an old geriatric cataract. So, yeah, If you see my driving around town with those gigantic old lady sunglasses on don’t make fun. I have a cataract!

Hello World!

   

Welcome Chandler Martin Jones to our circle of buddies!  Chandler was born yesterday at 8:00 am. He weighed 9 lbs 5oz and I believe  he is 20 inches long. His mommy is doing well after a “glorious” C-section…Chandler”s big brother Ethan is very proud of his new little brother.

Congrats Marty and Amy!

I am almost 9 weeks pregnant.  I have lost more weight while pregnant than I ever have while excercising. I fit into my normal jeans better than I did before I was pregnant. I must add that they are pulled up a little higher due to my slightly expanding waist, but still, My jeans fit better. I think I will sum this up to being the calm before the storm. You know, before my entire body erupts. Now, if we could get rid of my morning gag fest things would be just peachy.

Hello world!

Welcome to my first post on my first real blog!