Every Mile a Memory

On my drive home from work this afternoon I heard a couple songs that always make me look back and smile! Sooo I thought I'd share a few of my favorite songs/memories with you.

The first concert I remember going to was in Dollywood where we seen The Charlie Daniels band (yea, they used to have a lot of awesome concerts like that out there). I loved it and my first concert experience pretty much created a Monster. As you know I love love love concerts! Sticking with the same band, me and stacey used to listen to  the Charlie Daniels band greatest hits while we were heading to and from school everyday. The Legend of Wooley Swamp is one of my all time favorite songs. Ever! Yes, I know, I'm a hick but I love it!
Stacey and I pretty much rotated between The Charlie Daniels Band, Prince, the best of Queen and the Mullets Rock Cassette tapes. Not to mention the non stop Reba that we still listen to pretty much every time were together. I love Reba. We could definitely be BFFs for life!

I used to go feeding with my daddy and he would always sing Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On and El Paso and one of my all time favorites Pig in a Pen (this clip is one of the best versions by the once skinny now fat Ricky Scaggs - who I have also seen live at Dollywood).

The first rock concert I ever went to was HooHaa. It was in some big field in Winston years ago. Julie took me and of course we told Daddy that we were going to some classical music concert that Wake Forest was sponsoring - otherwise we wouldn't have been able to go. Sister Hazel was there as was Eve 6 and a bunch of other bands. I was a big Eve 6 fan back in the day and this concert only fueled my fire! Later that night mom was watching the news and low and behold...who did she see on WXII in the middle of all those half naked and drunk people? Her two girls. Daddy had dozed off and woke up right as the camera panned away from us. His exact words were "Who in God's name would allow their children to go to something like that??" Mom's response? "I have no idea!" Anyhew...that was my first mosh pit! The song was called Sunset Strip Bitch. It has a nice ring to it dont you think?
I remember in June of 1999 Julie got her jeep and was sooo excited. We piled in it and grabbed the closest CD to us, which happened to be Destiny's Child and went riding around the big city of Mount Airy. Windows rolled down, sun roof open, shades on, music blaring! We were pulling out beside KFC onto 601 and Jumpin' Jumpin' was cranked up and there was a hispanic guy sitting (yes sitting, in the grass) on the pay phone in the KFC parking lot. In a silly mood I yelled "Hola Baby! Como estas?!?" out the window as we pulled away and immediately broke out into my giddy giggle.
We used to walk around the house singing "War! huh! what is it good for? absolutely nothing!" I still love that!!
Don't even get me started on 50 cent! We LOVE 50 cent!!

Garth's The Dance and Travis Tritt's Tell Me I Was Dreaming always makes me think of Susan, well, and a humiliating video a few people have seen. 2 words. bibs shorts. karaoke. T-TOTALLY TERRIBLE! And I cant leave out I Think We're Alone Now. I remember sitting on the front porch at Aunt Lynn's trailer in the middle of an apple orchard (no kiddin. the trailer was surrounded by apple trees!) when I was about 5 watching Susan and her friend listen to that song over and over again trying to get some dance right.

Ok, so this got way out of hand. But I was on a roll it is really fun thinkin about all the good memories that these songs brought back.

can i borrow those shoes for a minute?

So I've been thinking about the lyrics to the old Elvis song "Walk a Mile In My Shoes" a lot lately, its something we should all do more of.

Walk a mile in my shoes
just walk a mile in my shoes
Before you abuse, criticize and accuse
Then walk a mile in my shoes


We should all think about our actions more often. What we say and do to people has an effect on them whether we think it does or not. Ill be the first to admit that I have said some of the meanest things to people when I've been mad or upset. After I have calmed down I always have a major feeling of guilt. OMG....did I really just say that?? As usual, yes, I did. I should really think before I open my mouth, especially if i'm upset.

I have also been on the other side of this fence...we all have. I've been the person that everybody picks on and let me tell you, its not fun. There is nothing worse than being the one that everybody makes fun of. Its something that can stick with you, and can have major effects on us.

Its just something to think about, something that's been on my mind lately. We should all think before we speak, especially in the heat of the moment. Take a minute and think how what you are about to say might make the other person feel.

"Change is inevitable - except from a vending machine."

There is a lot of change heading my way, most of it in the next few weeks.  I close on my house next Friday. NEXT FRIDAY - which means I've got to get on the ball, get organized and start packing!! I'm really excited about the new house - painting, floors, decorating, fixing everything up the way I want it. Its gonna be a lot of fun. It also makes me want to throw up a little...

A few weeks later my sister will have had the baby.I'm pretty excited about meeting my niece!! Aunt Cookie! When Lizzy gets here there are gonna be a lot of trips to Roanoke in my future.

"Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts."
...story of my life!

One of my favorite memories

Have you ever seen the movie Heartbreak Ridge? If you haven't you should watch it sometime. It stars Clint Eastwood as a Marine gunnery sergeant who gets stuck whippin this platoon of spoiled boys into shape. Clint had sooo many good movies (Any Which Way You Can, 2 Mules for Sister Sara, Dirty Harry, Hang Em' High, Pink Cadillac, Bronco Billy, In the Line of Fire the list goes on and on). Heartbreak Ridge is my favorite Eastwood movie and i'll tell you why....

When I was in elementary school, I had to have been 6 or 7 years old, I felt sick at school and the school nurse called my mom to come pick me up. Susan happened to be home from the hospital (I don't remember if she was in remission or if they had just let her come back home for a little while) and since I didn't have anything contagious that would hurt her my mom dropped me off with her and went back to work. Already I was feeling better! Since there were 5 kids between my mom and aunt we didn't get a lot of one-on-one time with Suz when she was home, so needless to say I was excited to be home from school and spending some time with her. After my mom left we were sitting in her bedroom floor watching Clint Eastwood movies. Susan was a huge and I mean HUGE Clint fan. I think she had every movie he ever made and had probably watched them all a dozen times. Anyhew, whatever we were watching ended and she put in  Heartbreak Ridge. Needless to say, I hadn't watched it before, its not exactly a child friendly movie. I guess she thought I was young enough not to really pay attention to the stuff I shouldn't be hearing. Boy was she wrong!! Later that evening I walked to the market to see my mom and I let out a mouthful! I don't remember what I said (knowing me it was probably the cadence or something equally as catchy) but I do remember getting in trouble for it!

Its a bittersweet memory, but something I'll never forget. Every time I watch Heartbreak Ridge (or any of his other movies) I cant help but remember Susan and how much she loved Clint Eastwood. She eventually got to meet him through the Make A Wish Foundation through Brenner Children's Hospital. A white stretch limo came to the house and picked up Susan, Stacey, Samantha, Julie, Aunt Lynn and Uncle Gary (years later I asked why I couldn't go since everybody else got to. Mom said I was invited but she was afraid I'd get homesick since Mom wasn't going and they would have had to head home early...which was probably true). They were put up in a nice hotel in Washington, D.C. and taken to meet Clint (she also got to meet Barbara Walters who happened to be there interviewing him) and watch him film part of In the Line of Fire. He was really nice to everybody and took the time to visit with her and the rest of the family and sign me an autograph :) There are lots of photos and a video too (I guess Make a Wish sent someone to do all that stuff). If you know my family at all, you know we are a weird group so of course we sent a box of fruit and a B&B hat that there's also a pic of him wearing!

I guess we were too young and innocent to realize that they don't give Make a Wish trips to kids that are gonna be OK, it never crossed my mind that she wouldnt be. Other than losing her hair (she would always wear her favorite UVA hat) she always looked fine to us. Later I realized that she wouldn't come home to us until she looked good and healthy, she didn't want us to see her any other way. I wish I could be that strong. Strong enough to know my fate, own it, and be brave enough to deal with it the way she did.

ok...cmon now FB...

Ok Facebook...I've got another beef with you! Ok well not really...its the same one as before. These sponsored adds are cracking me up!

Is it too much to ask to at least not recycle the same pic over and over for these dumb adds. Lets not forget this is the same pic that I blogged on a couple months ago...something about fat chicks if I'm not mistaken...

On a side note...watching CMT Crossroads with Train and Martina McBride... they're singing "A Broken Wing"....not cool Train...stick with pop or whatever you sing. Thanks for ruining this song for anybody who has heard it! And to the lead singer...for God's sake...your not a 12 year old boy! Stop shopping in the little boys section and get some pants that fit your dumb ass! I'm not even gonna get started on the leather!

trip to the lake with harley and memphis

I walked Harley and Memphis to the lake behind the house this afternoon and let them play a little. Heres a video.

fat guy in a little coat

ok...so i dont know what i was thinking when i let stac talk me into going to this boot camp class with her. i mean we already do old people zumba...

                  "puuulease cookie?? itll be fun!"

riiiiight. if your idea of fun is being one of 2 or 3 fat people in a class of already fit skinny heifers (seriously...there are like 4 other class instructors in this class...do they need to work out? NO!) who look graceful the entire time.  while i look like a beached whale floppin around all red-faced trying my best to get back to water.

not to mention the mini-hitlerette that is leading the class. of course she can squat down like a frog and kick her legs up behind her head...shes like 84lbs and 3 1/2 ft. tall!

this is why fat people stay fat. i cant begin to tell you how uncomfortable it makes me being one of the only fat people in the class. i mean i naturally go to the back corner and try to position myself where hitleretter cannot see me. but she always does. its almost like she positions herself to give me the stink eye the week long hour that im there.

shes probably not really giving me the stink eye. i mean it could be all in my head. that im just uncomfortable in the situation and trying to give myself an out. who knows...only 8 classes left!

a melody of fruit...

We started doing fruit creations for different events a few years ago. We started out small with me doing designs on watermelons and as you can see we have moved on to bigger and better things. 

Its something we all like to do when we have the time. Its nice to let our creative juices flow every now and then!

Do you ever wonder...?

Do you ever wonder how your life might have turned out if you had done things differently? Where you'd be today? How would loved ones that left us too early be today? If I would have just gotten a job right out of high school instead of going to school would I have been married and popped out a couple youngins by now like most of the other people around here have? Would I have started drinking or gotten into drugs like a lot of the people that hung around did? Rebelled from my family and live in a van down by the river? Where would I be? Would I still have the same morals and attitude that I have now? Would I hate life?

Honestly,I know a lot of things would be different and obviously I would have missed a lot of experiences and gone through a few new ones. But Id like to think that I would end up pretty close to where I am now. Even thought I never (and i mean NEVER wanted to go to school) I think that eventually, after my folks kicked me out of the market and I ended up in some crappy job that I hated, I would have realized that I needed to get my crap togeather and go get an education. I have always gotten along with my family for the most part....except the assholes....so I think i would pretty much have the same morals and attitude that I have now. I dont think that I would have gone buck-wild and gotten knocked up or run off and gotten married. Even when I was in school and what some might consider being a heavy drinker, it was never something that I had to have and I never see myself going down that road where I would be addicted to any substance. Im sure I would still be all about tattoos and stuff like that.
But who really knows! I mean, I might be preggo with my 5th kid by now...

I know everybody has days where they hate they're life. But I can say for the most part I am happy with mine so far. Ive met some great people and had some great times. I can honestly say I have an awesome group of friends that would give me the shirt off their back if I needed it.

How would your life be if you had gone down a different road?

Jacked Up Plans...

Dont you just hate it when you have a day allllll planned out and then your plans get jacked up??

Today I had planned to get all this stuff done, i was taking the dogs for pics - and cill was coming with me so we could hang out!, get my oil changed/tires rotated, feed the chickens and work in the coop some, and go to tractor supply to atleast look at if not buy some babies (its baby chick and duck season at TS in case you didnt know!).

Instead of doing all of the fun stuff that i had planned to do today, i started out my day around midnight last night in the bathrooom praying to the porcelain gods and eventually just drug a pillow and blanket in there and slept on the floor. and all day ive hung out on the couch watching old school cartoons on boomerang (i miss awesome cartoons like the snorks, smurfs, huckleberry hound...) but feel pretty good because ive been able to move without throwing up and have kept down some gateraide and 3 ritz crackers so far, which is a major improvement!

Oh well...theres always next weekend!

you must be talkin out your ass because your head knows better...

I wish people wouldn't say that they are doing stuff that they never intend on doing. I'm not talking about plans falling through...
I know everybody does it, but its one of my pet peeves...

Geez people...don't talk about it be about it!

False Advertisment!!!

Ok folks, sometimes I really get a kick out of advertisement. Here is one that has been cracking me up for days now everytimg I see it....

Lets take a closer look at this shall we?? I think we shall....

"Curvy & Bigger is Better" well....as a fattie, I like this. It makes me feel nice and special, like oooh look. heres something for me. BUT THEN I look at the image...
Here is this total hottie (with tattoos mind you...which just ups his hotness factor a good 40%) sleeping with a cute little baby (ooh look, hes hot AND sensitive! i bet hes got a dog too!!).

Now what are the chances that this sensitive, tattoo and baby (and dog) loving hottie is into fatties?? Im gonna go ahead and step out on a limb here and say NONE.

This is what the ad should look like....

I should get paid for this stuff...

Ode to Reba...

Who doesnt love Reba? I mean really. ITS REBA. I have been a huge Reba fan my whole life. I remember when I was little me and Stacey (my cousin and yet another Reba fanatic) would lay in the floor of her living room and watch the VHS tapes that we had of the making of all of her videos. My favorite one to watch was the tape that showed the making of "Does He Love You" and "Fancy". Those are still 2 of my favorite songs ever!!!

Reba is such a rounded person. Not only does she have an awesome singing career (ive seen her 3 or 4 times now...and shes still dancing all over the stage), she also acts and has her own clothing line ( i think she is putting out another line soon...maybe kitchen? linens?? idk...), shes also a big supporter of Habitat for Humanity. And incase you didnt know she was in the made for TV movie on NBC called "Is There Life Out There". Her video for this song comes from the movie.

I really miss her big hair...it was just so massive. i love it!! I actually have a wooden wall clock with this pic on it. It says Reba down the side of the pic and is trimmed in gold and glossy. Its extremly tacky but i love it.

 

I dont care what kind of day your having, Reba has a song for you. Whether youve lost a loved one (Moving Oleta, The Greatest Man I Never Knew, If You See Him) or have been done wrong (Maggie Creek Road, The Night the Lights Went Out in GA,  Does He Love You, Whoever's in New England) Lonley or Unhappy (Somebody, Little Rock, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Is There Life Out There, Once Youve Learned To Be Lonely, The Fear of Being Alone, The Heart Wont Lie) or just want a song that you can sing your heart out to on your way down the road (I Want a Cowboy, Ill Have What Shes Having, Ill Be, Im Gonna Take That Mountain, Pink Guitar)

So heres to you Reba. Knower of all my moods! I salute you!!!

A Day in the Life of Harley!

I wish that could have just one day like Harley gets to enjoy every day. She sleeps in until 9 or 10...sometimes later if I get to work from home! You would think that me going in and out of the room getting ready for work in the mornings would wake her up, but no, she might open one eye and give me this "can you hurry the hell up look" but she just goes back to sleep.

When she does finally wake up I have to make her get out of bed to go outside. She knows its cold out and her bed is sooooo warm. She steals my warm spot and pillow every morning as soon as I get up.

She is such a happy dog. I guess you can see why....shes a little spoiled. I recently had to upgrade her toy basket to a 47 gallon container. Yes i said 47 gallon... She has such a great personality too. I know that sounds crazy, but you know what I mean...shes so much fun.

Her favorite toy is a squeaky ball. She LOVES anything that squeaks, but tennis balls especially. She has been known to rip pockets off of pants and pull all of the covers off the bed to get to her squeaky tennis ball!

I pretty much take her anywhere I go other than work, unless its crazy cold or crazy hot outside. She loves to ride and has since she was 3 months old. I love my Harley!

Not ready to make nice...

I met with an old friend yesterday afternoon and as any friend does, she asked how I was, how each of us were. The more we talked about it the more it upset me. Well we all know how I am so me being me...I kept my cool and changed the subject onto something safer. It has really been bothering me ever since...

We used to be so close. Together all the time, vacationing together, holidays were always so much fun. We have all been through a lot. A lot of crap that was hard to deal with, but we did. We dealt with it and moved on and things were hard but they were still good...we were all still ok, if anything everything that we went through made us closer.
Look at us now. We haven't spoke in a long time... I tried to be the bigger person to both of you. I put my foot in the door once and you both shut it, I will not do it again. We have all tried with you, tried to take you at your word, tried to trust you, tried to give you the benefit of the doubt but you have screwed us over every time. I'm not in the wrong here...we all aren't in the wrong. You know it, I know it, everybody knows it. Its just a bitch to admit that your wrong and everybody else was right. It's not like you have to make some big announcement or anything, you know that! Just make an effort...thats all you have to do. I know your miserable, I can see it, we all can. You can't even look us in the eyes. I mean I don't know what I would do without my family, and you've fucked over yours to the point that you would rather sneak out the back door than walk through the same room as us. It wouldn't be easy but nothing ever is. All you have to do is make an effort.
I hate this. I really do...

What a weekend!

This weekend has been one of the best weekends I have had in a LONG time!

It started out with me being off work on Friday, that makes for a good weekend in itself right? Then we moved on to Greensboro for the concert. We had a little lunch and just hang out around the house killing time....waiting. The concert was awesome. I learned some things while I was there like: eat a substantial lunch and dinner before going drinking, apparently I still like to dance when I drink (which is scary for everyone), DDs are a must, I also think its fun to climb in trees...

After making it home around 8 Sat morning I slept til about 12:30 which was fantastic since I never get to sleep in like that anymore! Later that night we went to PBR in Winston. Peewee was entranced by this old lady's hair sitting in front of her (she reached out like 5 times to touch it...), and we were entranced by the cowboys and bulls (even though Deb was convinced that several of the bulls didn't "have a sac", so they shouldn't be allowed in the PBR)

Today I've done a whole lot of nothing but the day isn't over yet!

Starting Fresh

So...I've had a blog off and on for about 10 years. I used to write often and then well...not so much. To be honest I had gotten to the point where i would remember I had a blog about 3 times a year and actually remember what site it was on about once a year. So I'm starting fresh! Hopefully I will be a lot better and visit more than once a year.

So whats new with me? A whole lot of nothing thats what!