Vindication is mine!

Last night my pregger, older sister called me while I was teaching at English School, and since I am on baby watch 2008 I freaked out because she knows I teach every Tuesday night, and why would she call in the middle of class unless she was popping my niece out, right? So, I listened to her voicemail right away expecting to hear the words - 'Nicole, the baby is coming! And she needs to have her aunt here right away. And have I mentioned how fabulous you look? We hope our baby girl will look just like you.'

OK, so maybe Steph's call to tell me she is going into labor won't sound exactly like that, but I think it should (hint, hint, Steph). But I am majorly digressing.

So, Steph's message goes something like this, "So, I can't remember exactly what you are doing tonight [um, Steph, we talk almost every Tuesday night on my way to English School. It's OK. You're pregnant], is it knit night? [um, no, but good guess.] Anyways, I just wanted to let you know that [Ah-ha! the baby is coming, yes?] we were driving past the Taco Bell on Duluth Highway [oh?], and I guess they heard that you were angry, and well, it has been torn down."

What? Is it possible? The crappiness that was the Taco Bell at 685 Duluth Highway is gone?? If you have no idea what this is about, or even if you do, please go read (or re-read) the Taco Bell Incident of 2007. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Done? OK.

So, now that you are refreshed on why I was highly annoyed at the Taco Bell on 685 Duluth Highway, you will totally forgive me as I laugh manically and shout, 'Vindication is mine!!' from the rooftops. OK. Maybe that is overstating. And I do feel for the customer animals that lost their jobs. But this calls for a celebration.

Tacos anyone? I know this great place...

Sometimes

Sometimes the Internet makes you feel close to people you have never met. And I love that. Sometimes the blogs that I read can actually make or break my day. And it just all comes down to the power of words and images.

Last night, I had someone tell me that once a prophetic phrase is spoken (and I don't mean that in a spiritual sense - I mean more of a predictive phrase), it's out there and it can never be returned. And the idea behind the words now has the possibility of becoming true/real, maybe even more so because it was spoken/put out there. I am oftentimes of the mindset that things don't have to be spoken/written to make them more real. Verbalization is literally not the final say in the validity or worth of things. But sometimes, like today, I read something that makes me understand how powerful putting our words out there - especially in the cold, yet interconnected world of cyberspace - can be.

And I wrote all that fluffy crap above - that may or may not make sense - because I want to recommend that you read yesterday's post from Jennifer, the author of She Likes Purple. The power and poignancy of her post made me understand how words can make things so much more real and how those words will remain long after they are spoken.

Training

Today I officially began training for the half-marathon that is on my 108 in 2008 list. Yeah, the list that I never cross anything off because I can't seem to manage more than one blog at a time. But the day will come when I concentrate hard enough to do both. Until then, be dazzled by my wit on this blog.

[somewhere a cricket chirps]

Anywho.

So, a half-marathon is 13.1 miles. And the half-marathon I'm running isn't until October. So, why am I beginning my training now? Maybe it's because I secretly want to spend as much time as possible at the gym in the hopes that super-athletic man will stretch in front of me more, Zandria. Or maybe because I am a weenie, because I can only manage three whole miles before deciding that walking is the only thing my legs were made to do.

Or maybe - just maybe - because after I run, I feel like I can fly.

Deep thoughts of the day

Have you ever noticed how music goes out of tune when you yawn? I guess it makes perfect sense really, since your ears close up when you yawn. Am I the only one who notices this strange occurrence? Am I the only one who cares?

There is a man at the gym, about 35-ish, who is in really good shape. And after running on the treadmill, he always comes and stretches in front of me. I mean, bends over and grabs his ankles stretching while facing the wall in front of me. Got the image in your mind? Yeah. And I am no where near his treadmill. He walks across the room so I have a full-access to his flexibility. Why does he do this? Truthfully, I'm much happier watching the news.

Steph, my older, pregnant sister, is full-term, though her baby is not due until May 8. I keep asking her to have the baby early because I have business trips on her due date and a couple of days after. Is this wrong?

I can't wait until tomorrow!

Every 30 seconds...

... a child dies of malaria.



If you haven't already, please read Kari's moving posts regarding this horrible, yet preventable disease.

And learn how you can help:

American Red Cross: Fight the Bite

Malaria No More

Nothing But Nets

The babies are coming!

So, my friend Meaghan just announced that she is having a baby! And I'm so happy for her and Chris. Send some love their way if you haven't already.

And I wanted to clear something up from my last post, because this is my blog and I want only fresh air 'round these parts. I am completely OK with being single, as in boyfriend-less, and without children. Being around a bunch of married, pregnant ladies my age just made me feel strangely out of place, though not wanting to be in their place. I really appreciate the encouraging comments, but I want everyone to know I am A-OK.

So, now that business is taken care of, I want to demonstrate even further my happiness with the babies surrounding my life. I mean, with both sisters pregnant, my older sister's final baby shower tomorrow, Meaghan's announcement, my cousin's new baby and all the other pregnant women surrounding me, I could sink into a bitter stupor, but instead I shall post a photo and a link. The photo being the gorgeousness that is my very pregnant, older sister, Steph, and the link being your way of contacting the photographer, Brandelyn Shirley. Because she kicks ass. No, seriously, she is one of the best photographers I know, and I know many. Comes with the PR job. Also, I've known Brandy since college, and I just think she's swell.



Click here to view Steph's photoshoot.

Click here to view the blog of one of the Atlanta area's best photographers.

Click here to view the website of one of the Atlanta area's best photographers.

Barbara's having...

So, if you didn't catch it in my countdown post, I let it slip that my little sister is having a baby girl!!



I am going to have two nieces and I couldn't be more excited!

On a side note, I have never felt more out of place then last weekend at my older sister's baby shower. I was the only one there who is not (i) married and (ii) pregnant/has babies. I'm not saying it was a bad thing, but very, very strange.

#68: Go to a comedy club

Um, so, I totally have a list of 108 things I want to do in 2008, and while I have done like 20 or more of them I have only crossed two off my list. Why? Because I have actually mostly forgotten what is on the list, and I don't realize that I have done many of them. So, hopefully (ha!) I will manage to update that list a lot in the coming days because, well, frankly, this blog is my online scrapbook and I am just totally botching the job up.

And today I had an epiphany. I was going to just post about the fabulous time I had Sunday night going to The Funny Farm comedy club in Roswell, but now, since I actually looked at my 108 in 2008 list (imagine that), I can cross #68 off my list!

So, back to the comedy club.

Katey invited me to go to the club with her boyfriend Travis and their friend Mark to see Steve Trevino at The Funny Farm and enjoy some El Pollo Loco before the show. What can I say. We were feeling the latino vibe.

So, anyways, the company was wonderful, the food was great and the show was hilarious. And since we were seated right up front (thanks, Mark!), we were able to interact with the comedians. (For those of you who have not been to a comedy club before, there are typically two or three openers for the headliner, hence, comedians). And Travis became very good friends with Nick Valentine. Because they have a very important factor in common. They are both 5'5". Seriously.


Aren't they just precious.

And Nick. Well, he is 25. I couldn't believe it. I thought he was maybe (MAYBE) 21. And I received double confirmation of this when he heard me gasp, no, after he told us his age. Yeah, oops.

But age is just determined by how you act, right?



Right?

9 things I hate about everyone

I love my dad. For many, many reasons.


My sweet daddy.

One small reason is his sense of humor, and how one small email from him can make my busy-as-hell day become much more manageable. Emails that contain valuable information like this:

9 Things I Hate About Everyone

1. People who point at their wrist while asking for the time. I know where my watch is pal, where the hell is yours? Do I point at my crotch when I ask where the toilet is?

2. People who are willing to get off their ass to search the entire room for the T.V. remote because they refuse to walk to the T.V. and change the channel manually.

3. When people say "Oh you just want to have your cake and eat it too". Damn right! What good is cake if you can't eat it?

4. When people say "it's always the last place you look". Of course it is. Why the hell would you keep looking after you've found it? Do people do this? Who and where are they? Gonna Kick their asses!

5. When people say while watching a film "did you see that?". No Loser, I paid $12 to come to the cinema and stare at the damn floor.

6. People who ask "Can I ask you a question?"... Didn't really give me a choice there, did ya sunshine?

7. When something is 'new and improved!'. Which is it? If it's new, then there has never been anything before it. If it's an improvement, then there must have been something before it, couldn't be new.

8. When people say "life is short". What the hell?? Life is the longest damn thing anyone ever does!! What can you do that's longer?

9. When you are waiting for the bus and someone asks "Has the bus come yet?". If the bus came would I be standing here, dumbass?

Hope that gave everyone a huge end-of-the-week chuckle. Needless to say, I laughed my bum off. Happy Friday!

Play Family Feud Online!

Damn you, Chris!



Play Family Feud for free by clicking on the image below. You'll either thank me or hate me later.

Family Feud 2

An oldie, but a goodie

So, ages ago I had a different blog - and not Brits and Grits - that is now defunct. OK, it was only like four years ago but that feels like forever. And I went and looked at it for the first time in many moons, and found a photo on it that made me giggle. A lot.

So, for the two readers from that era, the following photo will come as no surprise. And I'm posting it because it is Wednesday, the ever-wonderful Hump Day. And just because it's totally one of my favorites.



Happy Hump Day, y'all!

When meowing just isn't enough

We're not sure, but we think Sassy wanted Kole's attention.



Ya' think?

Counting Down...5...4...3...

I love Kari's 'numbers talking' post, so I decided to do my own countdown of randomness loosely defined under, 'Five things you may not know about me'.

I go to the gym 5 days a week.

I got home Sunday at 4 o'clock in the morning. It was a very good night.

On Sunday, at 3 PM, I saw the Yarn Harlot speak (she was freaking hilarious!). And they quoted my friend Steph in the Atlanta Journal Constitution article that came out on the event (hi, Steph!) and you can kind of see me and my knitting group in the photo that appeared with the article. We are ALMOST FAMOUS.



I will spoil my 2 nieces as soon as they make their arrival!

My pool game improves 100 percent after 1 beer.

How educated do you feel at this very moment? Happy Monday!

Janet, The Decider

Dude, I love the Internet. I have met so many fabulous women via my blogs, and via my dissertation research. One especially fabulous woman is Janet, author of Slice of Pink. This is one classy gal (you totally have to check out her blog if you haven't already), who has helped me make a very important decision. About my hair. And she posted about it for all the world to see (with permission, of course), because she is The Decider this month.

The big question? Cut it short, mid-length or keep it long.

And she even made a cute photo to go along with her post.


Created by Janet. Photos provided by me. Ripped without permission from her blog.

Do you agree with her decision? I totally do. Thank you, Janet!

Now, I have more decisions to make: add side-sweep bangs and/or go lighter for summer? Any thoughts, you lovely women, you? And for my male readers, please feel free to chime in. I think that would be pretty cool.

Endorphins are addictive

So, do you know what Endorphins have made me believe? That I can DO ANYTHING!

No, seriously.

Since I began working out three (just three!) days ago, I have:

1 - Worked harder and better.
2 - Started corresponding with friends and family who I haven't contacted in waaaaay too long.
3 - Started catching up on every news article known to man.
4 - Started commenting on blogs where I am a constant lurker.
5 - Thoroughly cleaned my room. And as a perpetual neat freak this has made me so happy.
6 - Started planning my older sister's baby shower in earnest.
7 - Have given up diet sodas and drank a helluva lot more water.
8 - Lost weight. Weird how that happens when you get off your ass and exercise.
9 - Had a desire to go out after work, when before I forced myself to attend meetings and other events.
10 - Started to enjoy everything more.

And there is more, so much more, but I bet I have already bored you.

Oh, gym, gym, gym. How I love thee. I have already begun counting the ways.

What makes you happy?

So far today, it has been:

1 - Getting my lazy bum out of bed early to work out at the gym.

2 - Giggling with Kole on the phone.

3 - Looking forward to English School tonight.

4 - Coffee!

5 - The Silversun Pickups and their song, Well Thought Out Twinkles.

What is making you happy today?