TGIF

Happy Friday, y'all!
Aren't you happy the week is over? I sure am.

Both my roomies left for Cabo this morning, so I've got the house (and the critters), to myself. Oh! And a new house guest.

Nobody knows about this house guest except one person, and I know she certainly ain't talkin'.
He lives about an hour and a half away, but in LA traffic, it takes him a little over two hours. Known him maybe two years now, but it's always been very casual. He came to see me about a year and half ago when I was house sitting for one of our trainers. Was a fun visit. Short, but fun. He loved on a very special Poodle. ;-)
I went and saw him a few months later, where we pigged out on pizza and beer, and I loved on his Boxer pup.

I'm a little nervous to bring him into my home, to allow him to see how I live my every day life, and to bring him into a part of my bubble that has otherwise been shut off from the outside world. I, and only I, will know when the time is right. For now, he's just a house guest. (A cute house guest!)

How about that Kyle Busch? Now that Kansas is behind us, Richmond never looked so good. :-)
Winning the Denny Hamlin Showdown last night seemed like a great way to start off the weekend. Tonight...the Nationwide race. Any takers for KB in Victory Lane? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Enjoy your Friday night. Stay safe. And don't do anything I would.
xo

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday!!

Finally!

 

 

Look what I finally got! Woo hoo. Who would have ever thought I'd have a chance to go out of the country? Certainly not me. 

 

New printer!

 Got a new printer at work this week. Yay for new electronics! I'm just a crazy printing fool, now. :-)

 

Brando

 This little guy rocks my world. He follows me around, and chats with me about how his days are. He's a little needy, but I don't mind. He's my kind of fun.

 

Happy Halloween!

 Here's the color for Halloween! I originally thought about having spiderwebs painted over the orange, instead of the black stripe on the top, but I didn't have the kind of time it would have taken, so I opted for this. Still cool, right?

 

It's the weekend, and I plan on spending it sleeping, playing with my Jeffy, getting some MUCH needed car repairs done, and eating. 

 

I. Can't. Wait.

 

What are YOU doing this weekend? Anything fun? 

Hello Friday. So nice of you to finally show up.

Whoa! Is it really Friday? Really? Are you sure? Cause at the end of the day Monday, I honestly thought it was Wednesday. THEN, when Wednesday finally rolled by, I truly madly deeply thought it was Friday. And Thursday is just a blur to me. I can’t say I remember one thing from yesterday. This morning when I woke up, I was so irritated that I still had another day of work to deal with. So, I ask. Really? Is it Friday night, for sure? Cause I’ve been fooled twice this week and I’m too exhausted to do another day.

For three days, there has been someone else’s car parked in front of our house. I wouldn’t normally give a damn about it, if it wasn’t where I park. (I don’t park in the driveway as a courtesy to RM#1. My car leaks oil. At least until tomorrow. yay.) Having to park across the street or two houses away is sooooo annoying. It’s not because I’m too lazy to walk. It’s because that car simply doesn’t belong here. For THREE days. Today, I wrote an open letter to it on my Facebook. “Dear Red Car parked in front of my house. MOOOOVVVEEE!” After three days, enough is enough. Go park in front of someone else’s house. People went back and forth with ideas about how to get rid move it. (I have fun friends.) Lucky me, when I got home after a loooooooooong Finally Friday, it wasn’t there. Thankyouverymuchwhoevermovedit. I really didn’t want to walk across the street. This time I was being selfish.

Boss#2 and seven other trainers, are headed out of state to shoot another Travelers Insurance commercial. Yay. I’m sad that she’ll be gone, but I have a good support system in a few of the trainers that are staying behind to work on other projects. Thankgoodness.

I’m disappointed to hear about what Kyle Busch did during the truck race tonight. It doesn’t make me hate Kyle. It doesn’t make me want to stop cheering for him. It doesn’t make me want to stop wearing his #18 stuff proudly. It doesn’t make me want to take the #18 decal off the back window of my car. The entire racing community is up in arms over it. It was a real chickenshit thing to do. Totally unnecessary, and unsportsmanlike. Here’s the video…

When I first saw it, I cried. I actually cried because of the disappointment that came over me. I don’t want to be disappointed in Kyle. He’s a hero to me. He’s someone I admire. I watch his personal life unfold on Facebook and Twitter through photos and posts that him and his wife share. I see the good and the not so good. After all, they are human.

I watch him stare out at the water in this photo, and wonder what is running through his mind. Is he thinking about racing? Is he thinking about his family? Is he thinking about the charity event he was at while fishing? Was he thinking about how unhappy his life has become? I wonder. It doesn’t, to me, look like the face of someone who’s happy. But what can you really tell from a photo?

With all these trainers going out of town, I have LOTS of options for housesitting. One of them being a house I’ve never been to. Kind of exciting. So, for the next month, you’ll see me going from one house to another, week after week. The change of scenery is awesome, but the living out of a suitcase isn’t.

I’m off to sleep. I have a very busy weekend ahead of me.

Happy almost Friday!

…and my lack of desire to play, is awesome!

 

Had three new tires put on my car yesterday. The forth one was only purchased two months ago, so it was not in need of replacement. Still new, they said. Thank goodness, because the cost of three was bad enough.

While driving, I noticed that something was very wrong with my car. sad face. Took it back today and Whah-la! Fixed. I’ve never had four new tires on my car at the same time. There is no longer a vibration at 70mph+. I can take turns a little more confident. Don’t get me wrong. I’m no Kyle Busch in my little 4-banger, but it still beats everyone off the starting line of a stop light. and passing a Earnhardt Jr. fan on the freeway, is priceless. happy face.

Stopped for lunch. Got it to go, but never ended up eating it. sad face.

Having a big Halloween party at our house on Saturday. So far the count is 16. Gonna be a full house. Halloween is totally not my favorite holiday, but I promised I would be here for it. sad face.

I’m doing a few things under the hood of my car on Sunday. I’m mentally prepared and actually very excited about it. I have two friends standing by to answer any questions I may have to call them about (and The X said he would help if needed), but I’m not expecting anything to go wrong. I’ve done as much research as I can, and will likely do more just so I’m over prepared. Can’t wait! happy face.

Thank goodness for Friday’s

Hi y’all.

I have been looking forward to Friday, all week. It was a bit of a rough week emotionally, so I’m thrilled to be done with it.

RM#1 is away all weekend. Saturday is her birthday, so she’s out partying it up camping with friends for the weekend. That means, I get to doggiesit. Yippee. :-/

While at work today, my favorite dog in the whole wide world came to visit me. I heart him sooo much!

There’s something extra creepy, to me, about being home alone and waiting for the pizza guy. I am overcome with anxiety. It’s as if I’m afraid of something. So glad he was nice. :-)

When our trainers returned from shooting more Travelers Insurance commercials, they brought this back…

A friend of mine is in New York this weekend. Although I’m terrified about spending any time in NY, I am very curious about it. I’ve heard so many horrible stories about it, and feel it’s best that I just stay away from the bad. Then I think about where I live. Los Angeles. Well, I live just a bit north of LA, but it’s still LA nonetheless. Maybe one day I’ll break free from the fear I have, and visit. Until then, I’ll just keep looking at the pictures my friend sends me from there…

We bought a new van for the ranch. Well, it’s a year old, but it’s new to us. It’s nice to know our movie star dogs/cats/ducks/squirrels/birds are traveling in style. :-)

That’s enough from me.

Happy Friday Night!

Fun Friday

Hi readers! I hope your Friday evening was awesome, and I hope the rest of your weekend is ever more awesome!

I managed to get through an entire week without my bosses being there. Okay, Boss#1 was available, but only from his cell phone on the 7th hole.

Friday proved to be the most challenging day, but I struggled through it with every ounce of self control I could gather. I kept my cool, even though all I wanted to do was point out how much of an idiot this person was. All worked out in the end, and I’m pretty positive it wouldn’t have if I hadn’t stayed so focused. What a nightmare, and a HUGE pat on the back to me for staying nice. I’ve done my bosses proud!   :-)

By 8:30p, I had a beer in hand. On our way home from the restaurant, we stopped at my favorite local bar. Another beer. Karaoke night! Another beer. LZ got up and sang Love Shack by The B-52’s while a friendly guy at the bar chatted me up. Another beer. Spent the next 40 minutes trying to help LZ pick another song to sing. Finally decided on Goodbye Earl by The Dixie Chicks. I sang with her on this one, and we rocked it! Other people were singing along and having a good time.

Stay tuned… there could possibly be more to this guy that chatted me up at the bar. LZ seemed to like him. I suppose I’ll always have a soft spot for someone with a southern accent. Tennessee…you might be my new favorite state.

Friday Confessional

I decided to finally participate in the Friday Confessional over at Mamarazzi’s. Here goes…

I confess…

I eat too much junk food. Fast food for almost every meal. Snacks during the day to keep my stomach from going crazy consist of chips, candy, popcorn, peanuts, and whatever else is brought into my office. Except chocolate. I’m pretty good at passing that up.

I confess…

That as hard as it is to keep my feelings/emotions about my relationship with JK in check, he always finds a way to make me share them. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad. 

I confess…

That I’m a little nervous about the color change I’m having done to my hair tomorrow. I’m going back to my natural color. It’s been a looooooong time since I’ve had my natural color, and quite frankly, I’ll be happy to see the blonde go. I’m over that whole “blondes have more fun” bullshit.

I confess…

That I am a 5’7”, 110lb woman, with ZERO fashion sense. I don’t care about fashion. I care about comfortable blue jeans and warm hooded sweatshirts. I sometimes rely on others to help me shop for clothes. And when I have to dress for a special occasion, I ALWAYS enlist the help of another.

I confess…

I really need to have my nails filled. I’m trying to make it to next Friday (day before LZ’s wedding), but I don’t know if I can wait that long. They’re starting to annoy me.

 

Till next time…

Happy Friday

I am so thrilled beyond any imagination of the mind, that it’s Friday. RM#1 is going out of town for the weekend, so it’s walking around naked time for me. :-/  Nobody knows that, so please don’t spill my secret. I dance around naked would be damaged goods if someone came peeking through my windows.

I saw this quote on a friend’s Facebook page and had to share.

“If your relationship has more issues than a magazine stand, then I suggest you cancel that subscription.”

I’m grateful JK and I were able to let our subscription run out without anyone getting too hurt. Respect goes a long way.  :-)

 

My Week

Wow. What a week.

Monday: Valentine's Day. It's never been a day I've swooned over, and this year was no exception. I got to work Monday morning to find this cute little note on my computer screen.

Thank you, Deb.  You made my day! That night, I took work home and counted the minutes of overtime I was accumulating. Fun.

Tuesday: A fairly quiet day, yet I still managed to stress myself out at work. Some days are just more than I think I can handle.

Wednesday: I should have known it was going to be a bad day when the total of my breakfast came out to be $6.66.

Later that day, I found out some news that has since left me in a state of abandonment, yet again. I will not take full responsibility for it, but I know there are a few people who stalk this blog that think differently. And you know what? I finally don't care.

Thursday: A bit of a struggle. Getting out of bed was particularly rough, but I did it. I fought the idea of taking a shower, but eventually gave in to the thought of hot water after I forced RM#1 to kick my butt into gear. I continued to struggle throughout the day. Words of encouragement from others were nice, but didn't help the fact that I just wanted to push everything out of my mind and go about my day. Stop bringing it up, people. I'm doing a really good job at not letting it get to me. I stopped after work to have my nailed done. Wanna see?

Friday: Soooooooo glad the week is over. Boom!! Got hit with a request to babysit a friends daughter. Not exactly how I was planning on spending my Friday night, but at least it kept me out of trouble. Four year old little girls are so great. Their imagination is so refreshing. I mean, come on. Who else knows every.single.thing. about every princess? Her innocence is so beautiful, it makes her glow.

Stay tuned…Saturday I play Uno with RJ.

Fill in the Blank Friday

1. My Halloween plans this year will include turning off the front porch light, locking the gate, and watching mindless television.
2. My most memorable Halloween costume was Strawberry Shortcake. She soooo rocked. And so did I.
3. For Halloween this year I'm going to be sitting at home. I dislike Halloween very much.
4. I've always wanted to dress up as Wilma Flintstone.
5. Halloween free association! I don’t quite understand this one, but I’ll go with candy.
6. The worst thing about Halloween is everything!
7. The best thing about Halloween is the money dentists make afterwards, which in turns allows my JK to make money also.  :-)

Now go visit Laura and link up.

Five Question Friday

Rules for Five Question Friday: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then link up with Mama M. Come on. Join in. It’ll be fun!

 

1. If you could be a fly on any wall, which would you choose? The wall in The X’s attorney’s office.
2. Do you budget your Christmas shopping or just get it done without budgeting? I budget to the penny. Living on a very strict budget forces me to be more different than I ever have been.
3. What is the craziest fad diet you have ever done? I’ve never weighed more than 114 (more about that here), so I’ve thankfully never had to diet.
4. Is there a TV show that you have seen every episode/season of? Beverly Hills, 90210 (the original), King of the Hill, All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Friends, Full House, and…, and…, and…
5. What one song always pulls at your heart? Postmarked Birmingham by Blackhawk

Five Question Friday

Rules for Five Question Friday: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then link up with Mama M. Come on. Join in. It’ll be fun!

1. Who is the better cook, you or your spouse? The X was never as good a cook as I. And although I’m not married anymore, I’d have to say JK and I are about even in the cooking department. We don’t live together, so if that ever happens, I’ll have a better idea of who cooks better.
2. How often do you talk to your mom? Since she retired and moved out of state, about once every couple of months. She has moved away to create a different life.
3. Are you adventurous in the kitchen or stick to the recipe? Depending on what I’m cooking. Most things I stick to the recipe, but others, just don’t taste the same if they’re followed to a T.
4. Is your second toe longer than your big toe? Nope.
5. Do you dress up for Halloween? (Bonus question: What will you be this year?) No. I am not a fan of Halloween. Never have been, never will be. I think the idea of dressing up in a costume is just plain ridiculous. When RJ was little, The X took him trick or treating, because I just found it dumb. If it wasn’t for The X, I would have had the porch light off and never handed out candy. But, he’s just a big kid at heart, so wasn’t going to allow my dislike for “just another day”, ruin RJ’s Halloween as a kid. I will not be dressing up this year. I will be sitting comfortably on the couch, with the front porch light off, watching television and preparing for work the next day.

Fill in the Blank Friday

1. Blogging is something I didn’t think would be so fun and addictive. But it is.
2. A current fashion trend I wish I was brave enough to wear is skinny jeans. I just can’t convince myself that my “stick” body will look good. *shudder*
3. My greatest accomplishment in life thus far is learning to leave my past in the past and move on with the good.
4. If I had to choose between a mountain or a beach vacation I'd choose mountain vacation hands down. One day I will own a cabin in the mountains.
5. A talent I wish I had is creativity. I have none. I am not good at matching colors, decorating walls, or even rearranging furniture. I’ve learned to leave it to the pros.
6. A talent I do have is being able to write what I feel.
7. This week has been a rough one, so I’m glad it’s over. Whew!

Now, go visit Lauren and link up.

Five Question Friday

Rules for Five Question Friday: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then link up with Mama M. Come on. Join in. It’ll be fun!

1. What is your favorite Halloween candy? The little candy corns.
2. Do you fold your socks? Sometimes. If I’m doing laundry in a hurry, I just throw them into my sock drawer. If I’ve got time, I’ll fold ‘em.
3. What is something that you wish you had been warned about? That my divorce would fail if I didn’t work at it hard enough.
4. What is the most significant difference between you and your significant other? Nothing bothers him. Everything bothers me.
5. What are three words you would use to describe yourself? (And, just for fun...if your significant other is around, ask him/her what 3 words they would use to describe you!!) I say Crab, Honest, Afraid   JK says Deep, Analytical, Reactive

Five Question Friday

Rules for Five Question Friday: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then link up with Mama M. Come on. Join in. It’ll be fun!

1. What do you listen to while driving? XM Channel 16 (country music)
2. What is your least favorite thing about Fall? Halloween
3. What does your dream house look like, inside and out? I couldn’t possibly describe this, but I do have a picture of it.
4. Would you ever own a minivan? When I was married and toting around three children, I drove a minivan. I LOVED it and was sad to see it go.
5. Do you wash new clothes before wearing them? Depends on the item. If it’s a wife beater that was taken out of a package of 5, then no. If it’s a shirt, or jeans, then yes.

Fill in the Blank Friday

1. The first thing I do in the morning to start my day is check my email, then get up and pee.
2. Today I wish I was leaving for a weekend trip to Vegas.
3. If I had an extra $100 in my bank account today I'd put it towards what I owe on student loans. Being behind sucks.
4. Tomorrow I plan to sleep in.
5. Two things that don't go together are me and bad drivers.
6. Something I can never pass up at the grocery store is green olives.
7. The last time I tried something new was at dinner for Rosh Hashanah. Ew @ pomegranate.

Now, go visit Lauren and link up.

-Val

Fill in the Blank Friday

1. True happiness is getting to be with RJ.
2. The most surreal moment of my life was the first time I got to hold RJ.
3. My favorite texture is flannel or silk.
4. My signature color is black. Most of my clothes are black because black goes with everything.
5. My signature style is plain. Blue jeans and a t-shirt. Simple. I’m not flashy.
6. If I could choose one store to spend my life savings at, it would be JC Penny, maybe. I’m not a shopper. I avoid it at all costs, but if someone goes with me, I’ll be fine.
7. My best thing about autumn is the changing colors, being able to wear sweatshirts, and pumpkin pie.

Now, go visit Lauren and link up.

 

Five Question Friday

Rules for Five Question Friday: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then link up with Mama M. Come on. Join in. It’ll be fun!

1. Did you have a pen pal when you were little (or now)? Where were/are they from? I had a pen pal for a while when I was in elementary school. It was a class project, and we only corresponded about four or five times. I just wasn’t into writing back then. I don’t remember where she was from, but it wasn’t anywhere near California.

2. If you could do a different job for one day, what would it be? A racecar driver.

3. Do you remember your biggest fear from when you were little? The dark. I always had this really strange thing happen to me when the lights went off. I don’t know how it would happen, but my closet, which was only about 6 feet from my bed, looked like it was about 100 yards away. It would freak me out, and I’d cry for my mom. She’d come in and sit with me until I calmed down. Never figured it out.

4. What do you think is a waste of time? Why? Driving in traffic. Because by now, we should have flying cars.

5. What is the oldest item you have in your closet? A notebook from high school that my teacher told me I should never throw out.

TGIF

Last night while JK and I were at dinner, I mentioned how thrilled I was about tomorrow (now today) being Friday, to which he replied, “TGIF”. Every time I hear that word/those letters, I immediately think back to when I used to enjoy sitting on my couch with the lights out, with a bowl of popcorn, covered in a blanket, staring at what I thought at the time was the coolest shows on television. Remember:

Full House? By far, one of my favorite TV shows of all time. Or at least on my top 10 list. It was full of fun stories I could relate to, and I had the biggest crush on DJ’s boyfriend Steve. I thought it was weird that Jesse and Becky continued to live in the house after their boys were born, but I guess I understand. The closer the show got to ending its run, the lamer (is that even a word?) it got. I wasn’t ever fond of the Michelle character, and I wasn’t too keen on the twin boys as they got older. Today when I happen to catch an episode on TV, I watch for a second and then quickly change the channel all the while laughing at how “cool” I thought that show was.

Family Matters? Another one of my favorites. I thought it was kind of corny, but that was the whole point. Urkel was a bumbling idiot who always seemed to find a way to ruin everything. I honestly think the only reason Harriette kept a job was because there were so many home repairs they needed to make due to Urkel’s clumsiness. When the show started to lose ratings, they did what most other shows do, and added another child star. Alas came 3J. I really didn’t like 3J. He was a troublemaker from the start, and although the Winslow’s tried to make him into a good kid, I think the show ended before we ever really got to see him do something “good”. Waldo Faldo was my favorite guy. He was also confusing things people said, and that just made me laugh out loud. He was just too darn funny. He played that roll so perfectly.

Step by Step? This show seemed to me like it was a spinoff of The Brady Bunch. I don’t know if it was, but it just seemed like it. I hated this show. I didn’t like any of the cast members, and it just seemed too fake to me. I’ve never been a Suzanne Somers fan. I tolerated her in Three’s Company because I loved that show, but I really didn’t like her in this one. I thought all the kids were obnoxious. They had no manners and I didn’t like the way they talked to either parent. It just didn’t seem to suit me, I guess. I often switched channels by the time this one came on, but nonetheless, it was part of the lineup.

Perfect Strangers? This show was so beyond my realm of understanding, so I didn’t watch it on a regular basis. I watched probably three or four episodes, but couldn’t even tell you what they were about. So, I have nothing else to say about this show.

There ya have it. The TGIF Friday lineup. And now, I’m so glad it’s Friday! Have a great weekend everyone and I’ll catch up with you on the next post.

-Val

Five Question Friday

Rules for Five Question Friday: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then link up with Mama M. Come on. Join in. It’ll be fun!

1. What is the first nightmare you remember? I was about six, and I remember running down a street at night, and as I was coming around the corner, I saw my mother underneath the back tire of a car. I couldn’t believe it. She’d been run over. I immediately woke up and went into her room to make sure she was okay. To this day, 25 years later, she still remembers that night.

2. Even if you're not a sports fan, what's your favorite sport to play/watch? NASCAR! There is just something fascinating about watching 43 cars go around the track and nothing more fascinating than being there in person to watch, feel and smell them.

3. If you could pull off one piece of trendy fashion, what would you want it to be (jeggings, hats, thigh high boots, etc.)? Hats. I was born with what I’d call Dumbo ears. They aren’t big, they just stick out. Ergo, making wearing hats very strange looking. If I could change that, I TOTALLY WOULD!

4. Did you make good grades in school? Heck no. I was a C student (with a few D’s and F’s thrown in). It was a miracle if I ever brought home a report card that had a B in any subject except PE. The only reason I graduated high school was because they didn’t want to deal with me anymore. I was always cutting class and spent more time in detention than I ever did doing homework. I’ll just say, school wasn’t my thing. College I had to pay for, so I made sure I did well.  :-)

5. What magazines do you subscribe to? Unfortunately, due to budgetary restraints at the present time, I do not subscribe to any magazines. However, I have no problem picking up an issue of NASCAR Illustrated or Country Weekly at the check stands while I’m out.  :-)