Can You See the E?

So I always figured I'd have to get glasses since every person in my immediate family has eye issues which requires the use of glasses or contacts. I haven't had any trouble with my eyes, though, so I figured I hadn't inherited the faulty gene. Until now. On my way back from Birmingham I was reading Glenn Beck's new book (very good by the way, but that's an entirely other topic for another blog update;) for like five hours. I looked up at one point and noticed the bathroom occupancy sign had gone blurry. I looked back down at the pages to see all the words in double. Soon after that I felt sick to my stomach with a killer headache. I knew then I was going to have to pay the optometrist a visit. Apparently I'm a champ at seeing things from afar, but when it comes to up close I need a little help focusing so my eyes don't have to work so hard. So, I don't have to wear them all the time, just when I'm reading or working on the computer for an extended period of time. Corey still likes to poke fun at me though. Especially when I'm lying in bed reading with my glasses on my nose and little green retainers in my mouth (yes, I still wear them at night so my teeth won't go all willy nilly). My eyes and face are adjusting to the little addition and somehow these little glasses make me feel a tiny bit smarter. I even find myself reading more often so I can wear them. It's something new I guess, and they came with a cute, pink case. I have now fully accepted joining the rest of my family in the glasses wearing world. Turns out, it's not so bad.

The House That Built Me

Just as a warning, this song makes me cry every time I hear it. One night I was in the shower and it came into my head for whatever reason. Naturally, I began to sing it at the top of my lungs, but unfortunately (well, maybe fortunately) I just couldn't get through it without unexplainably bursting into tears. I understand this is probably not normal and you might be thinking "I wonder if she's pregnant", but I simply couldn't help it (and, no I'm not pregnant ;). Anyway, this song always takes me back to the house I grew up in and the home I'm not really a part of anymore. My sisters both live in Birmingham, Alabama and my parents are headed that way very soon. I will be thrilled the day they are able to move closer to their girls and to their precious grandchildren, but in a way I dread it too. It makes me very sad to think I won't be able to return to the house I grew up in in Fayetteville, Georgia, with the little playhouse in the backyard my dad and grandfather built for me; the weathered, red trampolene with rusty springs; wiggly greetings from our four-legged, furry side of the family; my dad relaxing in the open doorway of the garage listening to talk radio with Charlie at his side after a long day of yard work; my mom cooking southern meals passed down from her mom in the cozy kitchen; the halls and rooms that hold so many memories. I guess this song fosters some sort of emotion for everyone as everyone has their own memories of the house they grew up in. For me, it makes me proud of where I come from and also it makes me desperately miss my family, the south, my home. So if you're ever in the mood for a good cry, indulge in this song. If you're anything like me it'll work every time.

http://www.cmt.com/videos/miranda-lambert/500805/the-house-that-built-me.jhtml

Visitors

About three weeks ago my sister Molly, her husband Jacob and their little girl Maggie came for a surprise visit! I was at a local college event passing out sandwiches with our marketing director and when I returned Corey informed me that there were some people in the dining room who wanted to see me. I truly could not put my finger on potential visitors and as I rounded the corner it still didn't register. Until I saw Maggie. See, living in California while your sisters and their families live in Alabama isn't ideal for seeing your nieces/nephews grow up. So this was a particularly wonderful surprise (even though it turns out that she likes Corey more than me:). She has grown since the last time I saw her of course, and she will be even bigger when I see her again. They were able to stay for almost a week which allowed time for us to do and see so much. Dodger's game, Sea World, Tom's Farm's the Falls at Mt. Baldy and lots of eating out...(these pics are on Facebook, so if you've seen them just keep scrolling down:)

It was such a refreshing time for me. A little bit of home brought to the West Coast. I love my life here so I'm not complaining, but it would be a lie if I said that I did not get lonely or that I don't miss my family and the South. Needless to say, I was very sad to see them go. But I know that there will be more visits and I am looking forward to sharing some of our life with family and friends to come. The thing about living so far away is that it makes that time you do have sweeter somehow. I just want to thank them for traveling to see us (and helping us put up new menu boards at Chick-fil-A:). It was a blessing and a joy.

Musicals Anyone?

So I sort of have this new obsession. I seriously love Glee. If you've never seen an episode, I would say you're missing out, but you may not agree and that is certainly okay. I know that it's not everyone's cup of tea, but it's mine. I suppose this stems from my childhood. I think I can trace this love for musicals back to Newsies. My sisters and I watched it over and over again. To this day I know every line to every single song. I made Corey sit down and watch it with me (we had to break it up into two different viewings because he fell asleep the first time...he actually fell asleep both times so I just gave up). Needless to say he did not enjoy it. This was probably due, in part, to the fact that I was singing at the top of my lungs the entire movie. The Disney movies we all grew up watching are also a good excuse for my love of musicals. Sure there's a scary villian in every one, but that's overshadowed by the incredible soundtrack they all have. Let's face it, Corey and I both have multiple Disney songs on our Ipods. Whenever we have a little one (by that I mean child) in the car with us we shamelessly crank up the Disney music hoping to please them, while secretly loving the fact that we can listen to them again. I also think Sister Act II is partly to blame for this. I distinctly remember having a spend-the-night-party and watching all the performances from that movie over and over again (fast-forwarding from scene to scene on the VHS, of course). Modern day musicals I just can't get enough of; Enchanted (sure the whole animated to real life thing was kind of hinky, but the songs in this movie are brilliant), Mama Mia (one of my all time favs) and all the High School Musicals (I know, I know). Maybe it's the fact that you can break into song at any moment when you're in a musical (not that I've ever experienced that) or that their voices are perfectly flawless or that musicals are in a large majority, severely cheesy. Regardless, there's something simply delightful about watching a good musical. I would give up one of my extremities to be able to sing and dance, but I guess the Lord thought I needed them all. I think that's why I have grown to love Glee so much. It's a week to week silly, little musical with amazing music that you can immediately download from I-tunes. I don't agree with some of the content so I wouldn't recommend it for young and impressionable children, but it's very clever and witty. Corey actually watches it with me now too and even though he constantly protests that it's ridiculous I know he enjoys it too. Anyway, the season finale was excellent. This is an excerpt from that episode. Seeing as how it's almost seven minutes long I would understand if you don't care to watch it, but I will, over and over again ;)

FOX on Demand - Glee

Give musicals a try if you never have. You might just find you love them too.

The good, the bad and the super ugly...

I really enjoy cleaning. Maybe it's not the literal act of cleaning rather than actual cleanliness. There is a sense of accomplishment at the final result of it all. I guess that's why my new vacuum is my hero at the moment. I won't tell you how much it picks up every single time I vacuum, that would be sort of embarrassing (Peyton sheds her weight in hair daily, I seriously don't how she isn't bald). Anyway, I usually end up cleaning at the store for the reasons mentioned above. There are definitely things I don't mind cleaning, like the chairs that have milkshake dripping down the legs, trays with sauce puddled in the corners, trash cans that have collected juice from a leaking trash bag, spilled and sticky Hi-C fruit punch and much more. But there are some areas where I draw the line. Last week I covered a shift for one of our team members and incidentally (as Regis would say) was the dining room cleaning attendant. Not having checked the bathroom in a while (and having only one stall open due to plumbing issues) I figured it could use a check up. Cleaning the bathroom is not usually something that would scar me, but on this night that changed. As I entered the restroom I noticed the smell. There were crumpled paper towels on the counter with a hint of brown substance. Unusual, I thought. Then I entered the stall. Without going into detail, I will tell you I gaged. There, on the surface of the toilet, the toilet paper, the toilet paper holder and the waste basket 'it' was smeared, with the source still obviously in the toilet (unflushed). Everywhere. Lovely. Some unaccompanied he/she child had left me a present, that I did not want. Let me just say I do not handle 'poop' situations well. I have a hard time changing diapers (as my sisters would tell you I don't do very often, with just a hint of resentment in their voices) so you can imagine how thrilled I was in this instance. Who was going to do deal with this, though, if I didn't? So, I donned my gloves, cleaner and sanitizer and attacked the contaminated bathroom stall with all my might. A major sense of accomplishment at it's sparkling finish, and the fact that I saved the rest of those in the restaurant from the evil lurking in the bathroom, made me feel a little better. It's clean now, but let this be a lesson to those who have small children. You never know what has been left behind by someone else's child or what yours might leave behind (not on purpose, of course) . So please, for the sake of us all, chaperone your little munchkin to a public restroom or teach them how to wipe effectively.

welcome to my blog, I think

Is this the little girl I carried?
Is this the little boy at play?

I don't remember growing older
When did they?

When did she get to be a beauty?
When did he grow to be so tall?

Wasn't it yesterday
When they were small?

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears

What words of wisdom can I give them?
How can I help to ease their way?

Now they must learn from one another
Day by day

They look so natural together

Just like two newlyweds should be

Is there a canopy in store for me?

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears

So this is all new to me and I felt like I should maybe explain the title of this little window into my world. It's pretty simple really. I love this song. I wish I had chosen to have it played in my wedding. I grew up listening to my aunt Julie (with such a familiar, beautiful voice) singing it to the sound of her guitar, rippling waves and the clinking of my grandfather's sailboat mast on the screened in front porch of my grandparents house overlooking Palmetto Creek. Takes me back there every time. This is where I have spent a majority of all my summers and holidays since before I can remember. This is my favorite place on earth; my little piece of heaven. Perdido Beach, Alabama is where my dad spent endless hours tubing us behind the boat, and teaching me how to slolum and cast a net for catching mullet (not what you're thinking...they're bottom feeding fish that are simply delightful when my dad slices them up and fries them ;). We spent entire days in the murky water until the tips of our fingers and toes were wrinkly. This is where I feel I can most remember my beloved grandmother because she quite literally helped to build the house we all consider to be home. This is where I grew up, along with my sisters and cousins. With this song a flood of memories from throughout my life thus far overwhelm me. I ache for those days that are long passed but they have come and gone, just as other seasons of my life. I think this song reflects this sentiment brilliantly. Time goes by so fast. Although I long for days gone by, I look forward to what the Lord has in store for me and cherish the memories I'm making now. In so many words, this life, in so many of it's aspects, is bittersweet...laden with happiness and tears. I suppose that's what I'll share with you here, my moments of happiness and tears. Hopefully I'll make you laugh more than I make you cry (although, I seriously doubt I am capable of either). So here's to new memories, a new season, sunrise...