He's Here!!!

That's right, last night at 7:10pm, a little 7lb. 7oz. Charles Elliot was born!

So proud Aunt Mary is beaming over her new nephew.

I'll just go ahead and say it, I think Lindley and Chad just need to keep re-producing, because little Charlie (just like Luke!) is a beautiful beautiful baby! (Not what Lindley wanted to hear today when I told her, haha)

We got to the hospital last night, probably RIGHT as baby Charlie was being born! So my parents and I made phone calls, texts, etc. to family and friends. And then we waited with Luke to meet his little brother. (Luke was keeping us all entertained in the waiting room and in the courtyard...of course!)

Oh so worth the wait. Mimi got to hold him first, and then Grandpa and then OF COURSE Aunt Mary was itching to get her hands on that little bundle of adorable-ness!

Luke was very curious about his little brother, so he and Buddy (his stuffed giraffe) checked him out a few times. "Baby Charlie is crying!" Luke announced. So we asked "What do you say to him when he's crying?" He smiled "It's okay baby Charlie" so he came over and gazed him a little more, still not quite comprehending the whole situation, but it was cute anyways!

Lindley was trying to hang in there...took some anti-nausea meds so I think we were just giant blurs to her. But happy to see her looking full of color today holding her precious new baby.

So proud Aunt Mary now has two AMAZING nephews who I am in love with! I'm sure I will have more cute stories to come, just wanted to share the excitement with everybody!

I love you baby Charlie and can't wait to see you grow up! And of course, Luker Pooker, I can't wait to see you continue to grow up and become a wonderful big brother!

Letter to Me...

Here was my inspiration for this blog...a song by Brad Paisley called "Letter to Me"

If I could write a letter to me
And send it back in time to myself at 17
First I'd prove it's me by saying look under your bedT
here's a Skoal can and a Playboy no one else would know you hid
And then I'd say I know its tough
When you break up after seven months
And yeah I know you really liked her and it just don't seem fair
All I can say is pain like that is fast and it's rare...

_____________________________________________________________________________

Dear Mary,

This may seem odd, but this is a letter from you, 8 years from now. I will prove that it’s really you/me…look under your bed for the brown journal. Yeah, that’s the one-where you have pictures about all of your friends and you write about them, who they like, what they do that annoys you and your favorite things about them.

You are going to have a lot of things to deal with in your future years. Don’t be so shy, approach guys with confidence…actually, just approach them! Speak up more in class, especially in English. You have a talent, you just need to fine-tune it, even if Henderson is hard to deal with…

Try some new things! You will love doing a musical if you try, trust me. You will make friends, spend more time with your current friends and open yourself up a little…I know, you being on stage is scary!

Work extra hard for Mrs. McKinney, she has always seen the best in you and your friends, and believe it or not you WILL need Spanish. Plus, she’s older now and her husband might not be around for much longer.

When it’s raining, be careful driving and don’t slam on your brakes-especially if Sarah is following you! Take better care of your car-especially when you get to college! (Watch out for red paint-make sure it’s closed!)

Don’t stress about small things. They will work out. Also, don’t worry about what people think so much-have fun and enjoy your time in high school. Open your mind and don’t be too judgmental-you have good instincts about people and situations, so just let that be your guide. Your friends will meet a group of older guys-don’t be afraid to talk to Brook, he actually turns out to be one of your good friends!

When you go to Europe with the class, don’t let anybody ruin your good time. Take pictures, have fun, be goofy. And speaking of Europe, keep in touch with Eva for years to come…you have a wonderful friendship with her.

When you go on your first date with Matt, relax, his ex-girlfriend will NOT beat the crap out of you no matter what you heard in homeroom and in the girls bathroom.

Don’t chug straight from the bottle of champagne at Christmas formal-your head will hurt the next day…

You and Matt will date for a few months. On your 18th birthday, make sure Patrick doesn’t have that beer in the car when you get in. Actually, that made for a pretty good story-although at the time it was terrifying. That relationship will open you up to other people in school-you have probably misjudged them as they have you. They will finally get to see the real you.

Value your relationships. I hate to tell you, but a lot of your friendships that you thought would last forever barely withstand college. And when you get to college, don’t hold back. It’s a new start for you.

Don’t laugh at the possibility of keeping in touch with Jason when you meet him on your senior trip. I can tell you that even now, you still keep in touch and have had some wonderful memories with him, his sister and their friends.

You will end up at Penn State and love it! Soak it all in, experience everything. But don’t fall so hard for one of the first guys you meet. He’ll only mess with your head the entire time you are there...

Go to your classes—yes, even the early ones!

You will be in for a very tough day your first semester-a world changing event will take place in September. Your loved ones will be safe, but never lose sight of the events of that day. It will make you incredibly homesick, not having anybody close to you there, but you will find friends quickly.

Freshman year-do yourself a favor-the week before finals, either skip the rugby party or don’t let your friends leave you. This decision could affect the rest of your life and your outlook on it. If you make the same decisions-your family and friends are there for you, so utilize them for advice and consoling.

You will end up leaving Penn State and it will be one of the hardest things you will ever have to do. But you are successful at Memphis and meet some new friends, even though it takes you a while. You will lose a very close friend due to an argument, and it will have a major impact on not only your relationship with her, but will stretch far beyond that. Hold your ground and be thankful that you parents love and trust you. It’s a rough transition when you move home-but don’t be discouraged-you persevere and come back into your own during your senior year.

Spend more time with Mimi, Daddy Hully and Uncle Robert any chance you can. Learn from them, learn about them. You don’t have much longer to seize the opportunity to do so.

Also, love on Taffy whenever you can…because she leaves you much too early…

You will live a great life, so don’t let the bad days throw you off. I can tell you now, 8 years ahead of you, that you have a degree, a job, and an amazing family that now includes 2 nephews (well, #2 is coming any day now!). Your friends are getting married, having babies and managing to lead their own lives. Take the chance to spend time with them whenever you can. You have some amazing friends who support you in all you do-they even come to celebrate with you when you graduate.

People might not know it,
But you pretty much kick ass…

Love,
Mary (the quarter century edition)

T-I-G-E-R-S TIGERS!!!!

Soooo, as many of you know, my sports loyalties normally are with Penn State-especially if you know me or read my blogs from the football season...

Well, when basketball season rolls around, it's quite a different story! My Memphis Tigers have had a great past few seasons-and a wonderful history, but there was just something different about this season-and the city has felt it all year long. After an almost perfect season (the loss to Tennessee...my hatred for Tennessee does not stop with football people...heck, it even carries to women's fencing!) the Memphis Tigers are playing in the 2008 Championship game tonight in San Antonio, TX! I mean, hello-we have the best record in a single season, 38 wins!!

This is the first time the Tigers have been to the Championship game since 1973! I was negative 10 years old people! This is a huge deal, and while there has been a lot of "bandwagon" behavior around the city recently, the entire city of Memphis is full of energy. One of the best articles I have read on the team deals with the reputation that the Memphis players have...when they really are good kids, who sometimes make mistakes...it's a MUST read: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/apr/04/cal-look-deep-when-considering-my-team/

Sooo Saturday was the Final Four game vs. UCLA...and I headed to my parents to watch the game. So I had to stop and pick up a few things at the grocery store for my sausage plate (mmmm, I'm hungry!). Well I figured it would be crowded...but it was jam packed! I was on the phone with my friend Jen and I was just like, "This is absolutely amazing! There must be over a hundred people in here right now and I'd say at least every 4 out of 5 people are wearing a Tigers shirt!" There were Tiger and basketball balloons, everybody was getting beer and chips and just general party food! I'm grabbing beer out of the cooler and I get "Go Tigers!" from some guy passing by. If there was anything to get me pumped about the game, my trip to Kroger certainly did it! Every worker in Kroger even had on their Tiger blue.

Well, lots of food and Tiger spirit...and an AMAZING game that Memphis won 78-63! Lots of excitement at my parents house! The best was when I said "How about a Memphis alumni picture?" My mom says "Well that's just Nick and Shelly!" Really Mom? Cause PRETTY sure I graduated from there in May!! Hahaha

So Andy and I headed to the Sports Pub for the second game, to see who Memphis would be facing. Talk about a great environment-the best part was Kyle playing "Eye of the Tiger" and "Walkin in Memphis" back to back every few minutes-it really couldn't get much better! But maybe it will...

Tonight is the night. Tip-off at 8:20 CT, I will be heading to the bar immediately after work to secure a seat! Memphis vs. Kansas!

Jayhawks beware, we're comin for ya...

GOOOOOOO TIGERS!!!

A Very Special Dedication...

First of all, I hope everybody got to read the comment from my previous blog left by Chad, cause I thought it was absolutely hilarious and got a major case of the giggles reading it at work...nicely done BIL!

Today is Wednesday (woo hoo for hump day!) March 26! Now, this might not seem like a big deal to many of you. WOW are you mistaken! Today is a very special, important and wonderful day-it's my Biffers birthday!!

SOOO, I would love to take this opportunity to dedicate a blog to my sister Lindley!

Once upon a time, in 1983, I met my sister...I don't really recall the early years, but the pictures tell the story. My sister was obsessed with me. I think she actually kind of stalked me, I heard she even watched me sleep-creepy. Well the obsession became mutual-I mean, my older sister pretty much rocked...and still does!

My sister is 7 years older (yes, she's 20 and 12 today!) so the age difference was enough where we weren't at each others throats in high school or anything. Quite the opposite actually-she is my best friend in the whole world. I will never forget when she went on a date with the guy from down the street to see Arachnophobia...yes, the girl who is TERRIFIED of spiders. So what could be more fun than hiding plastic spiders all over her room? Didn't really freak her out cause she saw all of them sitting out, but a day or two later when she answered the phone in her room and found the last one...ohhhh yeah, nice big scream. Rock on.

Driving with my sister is always fun! We serenade each other. I'm telling you, put on "Does He Love You" by Reba and you will get a show! She also has a habit of going a LITTLE fast when a good song comes on...nothing beats us driving to Texas with my mom following in the U-Haul, she got a little behind us a few times.

We have a lot of "odd sibling stories" as well. When it stormed (okay, when it stormS, present tense) there is a chant that we repeat as we watch out the windows "Keep on stormin, keep on stormin! Lights go out, lights go out!" There was also the ever popular "Woo woo" which was answered by "Ding ding" for when we were at my Aunt and Uncles farm in Virginia-this is when we were trying to find each other. I told you they were odd stories...

1994-a very sad year in the life of Mary! My older sister was leaving me to go all the freaking way to Texas for college! Let me tell you how much I cried when she left...although I did make her a kick @$$ tape, complete with commercials, for her road trip. But I do remember visiting her at Baylor and thinking that college was the coolest thing ever! I saw her in Sing and it was so fun getting to see her perform in what we had heard about! A little while later, she was coming home for a break-and somebody was coming with her. Chad arrived before she did, so I got to meet the guy who we'd been hearing all about. Obviously, he stuck around for a while...I think we'll keep him around too just because of his amazing dancing abilities! =)

I LOVED visiting Lindley in Dallas-going to Uncle Julio's for dinner (Chad usually joined!) and of course, the shopping trips were always fun (can we say Nordstrom's shoe department?!). One summer I helped Lindley and her roommate Erica move into their 3rd floor apartment. It was about 115 degrees, heat index 803! Years later, Lindley moved into a new place that would become Lindley and Chad's place! Well, we did our usual shopping trip and Chad came over one night and made some amazing salsa-very spicy!! Yeah, I had to make trips to the drug store because my wisdom teeth started coming in and were hurting so bad I couldn't open my jaw-I literally had to pry my mouth open. My sister thought this was quite hilarious. It was also fun going to school with Lindley one day and watching her interact with her kids-especially when one of the kids tried to hit on me (I think I was in 10th or 11th grade, he was in 7th...)

My sisters wedding...one of the most exciting things ever! Dress shopping was fun, she looked beautiful in a lot of the ones she tried on-but none were THE one. Well, she put one on, they clipped it back to show how it would fit her-and my mom and I started crying-I mean, it was like the lights got brighter and illuminated her-she looked like a princess. It was such a special year, being a part of everything and having a front row seat as the Maid of Honor to watch Lindley and Chad exchange their vows. I'm still convinced my sister got the last good one...even if our house keeper doesn't like Chad, I still think he's pretty great! (Just kidding, you know Ga loves you Chad!). I just know she's going to get revenge at my shower since I got her some embarassing things at hers...

So Lindley and Chad go off to Indiana for grad school as I headed off to Penn State. Go Big Ten! So visiting my sister was fun then as well-their new apartment, getting to visit my niece Mocha (who they got in Texas, but I didn't get to visit her as a wittle puppy!) and having craft days! Not to mention, going to Scottie's for fried pickles and (gasp!) a pitcher of beer where they didn't even card me (I think I was 19? 20?). Then making mudslides, watching Moulin Rouge and just having quality biffer time!

Lindley visited me at Penn State during my junior year for the PSU vs. Indiana game, and I told her if Penn State lost I was going to call her out in the student section for wearing her Indiana shirt under her Penn State sweatshirt! Luckily, it didn't come to that! But she got to meet all of my ADPi sisters, who were her sisters as well! We went to my friend Jay's apartment for drinks-he made me a Hypnotic martini. Lindley's order? A Bloody Mary...at 9pm...I thought it was funny. Not as funny as her trying to get a beer at the frat party though. The guys behind the bar are jerks, so when they ask "Who do you know?" Lindley says "John!" "John who?" "Smith." Hahaha, didn't work so well...I had to take over from there, but it was too funny!

So when I moved back to Memphis in January of 2005, it was a really hard year for me...I had left all of my friends, a school I loved and returned to a place where I didn't really know anybody anymore. My family is amazing, and being that my birthday is in January, they knew I wasn't really looking forward to celebrating it in Memphis. SO they surprised me with an amazing weekend trip to New York City! We had amazing dinners, saw a play, went shopping and just had a great time. We ATTEMPTED to go to Serendipity at 11 one night for hot chocolate, but the line was ridiculously long! Well, it started snowing. Now, if you know my sister, you know she is psychotic about snow. This night was no different-for some reason that's one of my favorite memories from the trip-Lindley squealing next to me in the limo to look at the snow!

Shortly after that birthday, something very exciting happened. LUKER POOKER!! Seriously, I am obsessed with my nephew as many of you know if you read my blog. So how excited am I that I have another one on the way? It has been so much fun watching my sister take on motherhood and kick butt at it!

Anyways...I could go on for hours with great stories about my sister and I! Basically whenever we are together, we have a blast, these were just a few favorites that came to mind...

Whether painting pottery, having a movie marathon, scrapbooking, playing "MASHY", eating delicious pizza, giving/receiving boy advice, creating a list of nicknames (dork, dufus, FAC, etc.) making blanket forts, having pretend concerts to the "Pretty Woman" soundtrack, going to sporting events, watching ATWT, getting hit on by the Fox Ridge guy, going on treasure hunts, playing with Luke, trips to the beach, teaching my OLDER sister slang words...hee hee, jamming out to 80's music, calling every day from my 10-day vacation to sing "Why do birds suddenly appear, every time...you are near?!" or just talking on the phone while grocery shopping, there is nothing that will ever compare to the relationship that my sister and I have. My friends all love her, heck, everybody that meets her loves her!

So Biffer, thank you for being the best sister anybody could ask for! You and Chad and Luke are always there for me and I love all of you-I know Charlie will be included in that when he joins all of us! I am so happy we get to live so close and share so much-you mean the world to me and I couldn't have made it through the past few years without your sense of humor and unwavering support...through the hard stuff (school, friendship problems, funerals, heartbreaks, etc.) and the amazing times (vacations, weddings, new friends, graduation, etc). I hope you have a WONDERFUL birthday-hopefully you enjoyed re-living some of my favorite biffer moments!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO LINDLEY!!!!!!

Over-analyzing my over-thinking...

Soooo, I still have to write my letter to myself, I'm aware! My brother-in-law had a fantastic one, in which he also wrote a letter from his 17-year-old self to his current self (and apparently he said "dude" a lot when he was 17!).

Well, yesterday was St. Patty's Day! I think at about 2:30 I told my friend that I might just stay at home with my green food coloring and beer and enjoy it myself because I was getting frustrated just going back and forth with plans and work was insane!

I mean, really? Did I honestly think that would happen? Not at all-so I ended up hanging out with two of my loyal blog-readers, Brittany and Kyle!

So an Irish Pub on St. Patty's Day, obviously insanity right? Yeah, took a while to get a drink...so you'd get two or three at once. Good times. Well at the end of the evening, I'm closing my tab (okay, TRYING to close my tab, it worked after 30 minutes) some guy was standing at the bar next to me and told me to watch his seat. I told him I'd just be closing my tab, and he said "Aw, I was hoping you'd be here when I got back" and I just kind of smiled. "No, seriously" he says, "You're the most beautiful woman in the bar". I laughed "Exactly how many car bombs have you done tonight?" He taps me on the shoulder and looks at me and says "I never lie". Then walks off. Sadly, I was still standing there when he got back. "You think too much" he said when he sits down. "Pardon?" I said. "You think too much. You need to just take a compliment and not think about it or question the meaning." So I'm like, yeah, okay. Got my tab, and walked out with my friend.

Now, to be told once that I think too much by a stranger is one thing. But then my friend and I were walking in the parking lot talking about random stuff and I just kept being like "I'm sorry, I know I sound like x" or "I know you're thinking x" and he just looks at me and said "Mary, you are analyzing too much. Don't over-think it."

Hmmm...

So then on top of that, I had the absolute most bizarre dream in which one of my girls and I were out at a bar and next thing we knew it was 6am, so some other girls were like "Just stay out and drink a mimosa or bloody mary with us" so we're like, okay. And the bartender was like, "I have something even better that's the new craze for the early morning drink" and hands us this like, clearish drink in a martini glass that looks like a snowcone. The bartender tells us it's called an "Analyzer", it's vanilla dippin dots (can you tell I'm sweet deprived?) blended with vodka and ice chips. How freaking bizarre is that? I invented a drink in my sleep, and it deals with me thinking too much. Not to mention one of the other girls in the dream put a jalapeno in hers...what?

So now I'm writing to analyze about how I over-analyze things. My dad has recently told me that I have excellent intuitions and that my instincts are usually right on.

Question: So how is it at times they are so way off?

Answer: Because they aren't gut feelings-they are usually in situations where I put thoughts in other peoples heads. Now I might be able to get a sense of a persons character, but really, I'm not psychic-I don't have ESPN! (hee hee)

Somebody changes plans on me, it means they don't want to hang out. Somebody forgets my birthday, it means they really could care less. Somebody suddenly changes their mind about a situation 100%, it means their original thinking or original plans fell through. And man oh man do I have this over-analyzing thing bad with guys...let's not even get into the crazy crap that goes through my head if he doesn't behave according to the way he should in my head! (Why is it I'd have any type of realistic expectation for this? Cause it's gone soooo well in the past?)

I'd love to say I'm not going to over-analzye things, but I will definitely have more patience or ask for more input when I'm feeling slighted in a situation. I think this problem definitely occurs more for the female readers, but any opinions are welcome! I just know that I can sit down and think out about 15 scenarios for something if it seems off to me, and to be honest, it's just a waste of time because it often turns into worrying for no reason!

Now I do believe that my intuition is very different from overanalyzing, so I will keep my instincts in check and leave the worries...

But of course when I feel like a "Why did he say this like this?" talk, that's what I have my girlfriends for, so don't judge me =)



"Worrying is a lot like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere"-Van Wilder

I'm unusually hard to hold onto...

So I am one of those people who associates music with certain situations, major events or time periods in my life. Like when my family moved into our current home between my 8th grade and freshman year, my sister and I drove back and forth a lot of trips moving a few things here and there. Dave Matthews "Crash Into You", The Wallflowers "One Headlight" and The Verve Pipe "The Freshman" are songs that will always remind me of that time. The Sugar Ray, Everclear and Jay-Z CD's will always remind me of when I turned 16, as I listened to them on my way to school quite frequently. Certain songs even remind me of certain guys, whether it was a song he recommended, a song he told me to listen to because it made him think of me, or even a song when I walked in on him hooking up with another girl at a party...yeah, that was a fun one, thanks for that 112 and your song "Dance with Me"...sheesh!

ANYWAYS-lately, there have been a few songs/artists that I have completely fallen in love with. You know, the songs that on a nice sunny day you roll the windows down and blast it, maybe even belt it out at the top of your lungs? No, just me?

One artist I discovered that I think MOST of you would like is Kate Voegele. I found her on my favorite show, "One Tree Hill" where she plays a singer, but she does some of her own songs on the show. I absolutely love everything of hers that I have heard, my favorite though is called "Wish You Were". Check her out on www.myspace.com/katevoegele ...let me know what you think!

The title of my blog is from "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles, it's just an empowering song and I think that "I'm unusually hard to hold onto" is a great line...perhaps because I relate to it?

Also, one of my favorite bands, Lifehouse, has a new album out. I've only heard a few songs, but "Who We Are" seems to be a frontrunner for me. They had one of my favorite songs my senior year of high school, and I discovered their song "Everything" my junior year in college which is one of my favorite songs of ALL time!

Now I am also in love with One Republic, everybody has probably heard the "Apologize" song with Timbaland, but their original version with just the violins is absolutely beautiful, and their new song "Stop and Stare" is great as well...I think I need their CD!

A surprising twist for me...I am absolutely OBSESSED with this song "Shadow of the Day"...it's very slow and almost one of those rainy day depressing songs, but I jammed out to it on my way to Auburn a few weeks ago, sunshine and all! I had to look around to find out who it was by, and it absolutely shocked me...Linkin Park!! I mean, they are usually more of the rock out type band in my mind, but this is such a beautiful song to me-here are some of the lyrics:
I close both locks below the window.
I close both blinds and turn away.
Sometimes solutions aren't so simple.
Sometimes goodbye's the only way.
And the sun will set for you,
The sun will set for you.
And the shadow of the day,
Will embrace the world in grey,
And the sun will set for you.

And okay, some of these songs seem kind of deep, so I have a new guilty pleasure that I thoroughly enjoy...this is me embracing my country side, Taylor Swift. She sings "Teardrops on my Guitar" and "Our Song", but she has a song that cracks me up called "Picture to Burn"...here is the first verse and chorus:
State the obvious,
I didn’t get my perfect fantasy
I realized you love yourself
More that you could ever love me
So go and tell your friends
That I’m obsessive and crazy,
That’s fine
I’ll tell mine
You’re gay,
And by the way,
I hate that stupid old pickup truck,
You never let me drive
You’re a redneck, heartbreak
Who’s really been at lyin'
So watch me strike a match
On all my wasted time
As far as I’m concerned,
You’re just another picture to burn.
(Perhaps I really like this one since I just got to put some pictures through a shredder?)

Another country artist I like is Chuck Wicks. He opened at a concert I went to a few weeks ago and his big song is "Stealing Cinderella" which is a beautiful song that I love. He had a lot of other really good ones and I think I'm going to check him out...along with Eric Church cause he was great when I saw him in concert as well. Anyways, another reason I like Chuck Wicks...


Yeah, he's kind of attractive...plus hearing him sing and play the guitar, I melted a little bit!!

Okay, so my challenge to those of you to blog, and I think I might do this in one of my next blogs...my favorite radio station did this the other day and I thought it was a really good idea. Brad Paisley has this song out "Letter to Me" where he write a letter to himself at 17 years old and basically gives himself advice on what to look out for, not to get down on himself, etc. Here are some of the lyrics so you get an idea...
If I could write a letter to me
And send it back in time to myself at 17
First I'd prove it's me by saying look under your bed
There's a Skoal can and a Playboy no one else would know you hid
And then I'd say I know it's tough
When you break up after seven months
And yeah I know you really liked her and it just don't seem fair
All I can say is pain like that is fast and it's rare
And oh you got so much going for you going right
But I know at 17 it's hard to see past Friday night
She wasn't right for youAnd still you feel like there's a knife sticking out of your back
And you're wondering if you'll survive
You'll make it through this and you'll see
You're still around to write this letter to me
At the stop sign at Tomlinson and Eighth
Always stop completely don't just tap your breaks
And when you get a date with Bridgett make sure the tank is full
On second thought forget it that one turns out kinda cool
Each and every time you have a fight
Just assume you're wrong and dad is right
And you really should thank Mrs. Brinkman
She spent so much extra time
It's like she sees the diamond underneath
And she's just polishin' you 'til you shine

So I challenge all of you, especially those of you with blogs, maybe do an entry where you write a letter to yourself at 17. I think it's going to be my next entry. It obviously doesn't have to rhyme like the song...but just think about all of the things you valued at that point in your life whether it was 8, 12, or 20 years ago. I think it will be interesting to see what life experiences we have all gone through...

Hopefully some of you enjoy the new music recommendations I've thrust upon you...be looking forward to my next blog where I tell my 17 year old self that she is going to kick serious ass in about 8 years...HAHAHA, okay, maybe more like 10 or 12...

Well HELLO strangers!

Okay, okay, so it's been a little while...

If you notice the last blog, it had something about Tom Brady having a perfect season-well I think we ALL know that didn't happen! My friends even sent me balloons and a card that said "Sorry Tom couldn't pull off the victory for you. Thank goodness you have friends that really love you. GO GIANTS"--yeah, some friends, sent like, 25 balloons to my office where I was forced to fear for my life (as I am TERRIFIED of balloons!).

And in more recent news, the Memphis Tigers also lost their chance at a perfect season this weekend. However, their championship hopes are STILL alive baby!

So I've turned 25, celebrated Single's Awareness Day by shredding pictures, visited friends in Auburn, yadda yadda...I owe blogs and pictures from it all. But I'll try to write a meaningful blog before I throw the craziness of my life on y'all.

What has inspired me to FINALLY update my blog you ask? 1-Shawn keeps telling me to give the readers what they want and that he KNOWS I've had some good material lately. Yes, yes I have. 2-My sister has asked numerous times if I'm EVER going to blog again. Yes, yes I am. 3-Chad, my fabulous brother in law, has started a blog. Yes, yes he has.

So I've been sick for the past week with who knows what and was dog-sitting at my parents house. Last night was the first night back in my apartment, and what do ya know, I couldn't go to sleep! My friend Corrie and I laugh because when we can't sleep, we end up watching the same bad tv. Well she was sleeping peacefully last night and I was watching re-runs of "Home Improvement".

Laugh if you must, but I think it's a great, albeit cheesy, show. (Can I get points for using the word "albeit"?) So last night, Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor's old college roommate was in town (who graced us later with the wonderful character Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore) for a few days. Jill, Tim's wife, hates Tim's old friend. He burps, farts, crushes beer cans on his head, etc. So she asks Tim "If you met him now, do you think you'd still be friends with him?" He thinks about it and is kinda like, yeah, he's good for a few laughs and we've been friends for a long time. Then Tim and his friend are talking and his friend keeps bringing up the past, and Tim is like "Well, today is pretty great too" and his friend says "But weren't those the best days of your life?" Tim is like, they were good, but these are good days as well.

So WILSON, the greatest character whose face we never fully see, talks to Tim later in the back yard. Tim tells him about his friend who keeps living in the past. Wilson says, it's okay to reminisce, but not to dwell on the past. Tim says "How do I just cut him out? He's been my friend for fifteen years". Here's the kicker...Wilson replies "Really? Has he been your friend for fifteen years or was he your friend fifteen years ago?" BAM.

How is it a line from Home Improvement hit me so hard? Perhaps I'm at a phase in life where I have a lot of people who I call friends, but they aren't friends to me and to be honest, I'm not a friend to some of them anymore either. I have people I know getting married, having kids and while I'm excited for them, they might as well be strangers. So are they my friends now, or were they my friends 4, 8, 12 years ago? Call it a quarter-life crisis, but it's time to prune back the craziness. Now I know people lose touch after high school and college, but could it be that I'm hanging on to friendships simply because it's convenient?

So I challenge you to think about it. Are there people in your life who are dragging you down because you are putting forth more effort than they are? I'm sick of wasting time and energy on people who will never care about me as much as I care about them. I'm sick of the meaningless promises. I got rid of a BAD "friendship" one a few years ago, and it felt great! I shredded a picture of a guy who treated me like dirt when I found out he got engaged to give myself closure, and it felt AMAZING! Getting rid of the superfluous relationships that have plagued me and jaded me...what a terrific concept.

I will be an acquaintance, old roommate, former whatever, etc. but from now on, only the people who care about me and love me for who I am will be honored with the title "friend".

Ahhhhh, I already feel better...now I get to see Raja Bell tonight when the Grizzlies play Phoenix and then I will go home and watch One Tree Hill =) Happy girl right here!!!!

More to come soon, I promise!!