Baby Steps

Amanda at the end of Week 32

I am slowly but surely aquiring a lot of gadgets and gizmos that will supposedly make my life easier once Bradley arrives.  Most of them I look at with blank stares and wonder how they work, and why I need them.  I figure it can't hurt to try out a few things though, since I do have a small dog in the house who makes a great model!

Julius is my guinea pig for trying out the front carrier!  He actually enjoys it, we think!

I experiment with my new Boppy pillow... once again, Julius makes a great test subject!

blogging husband

Today is 25 Apr 08 and tomorrow will be Amanda's and my eleven month anniversary. Now you may say wow, why is this such a big deal, it is only eleven months, wait till it is a year. Ya ya I know. What can I say, I am impatient. It's been a long and winding road but I would not trade it for the world. We are now in the last couple months of pregnancy and in the last couple months of being apart. Amanda and I are both very excited about the baby coming in June and her arrival in Florida shortly there after. Starting a family is no small feat and I don't think they could make enough books on it. The one book that we have been focusing more on lately and the one book that has been proven time and time again to work is the Bible. We have started our daily devotionals with the help of a couples devotional book we got as a wedding gift and it is quickly becoming evident that it is helping. I am going to keep this blog short as this is my first one (yay for me). And just a friendly heads up to all you readers out there, although you may not be able to tell by just looking at my spelling and grammatical errors but I really am smarter than I type. So, from now on be on the look out for many more blogs to come, most will be filled with spelling errors and poor wording but I would like to think that more importantly they will put a smile on faces and make for some good laughs. As long as that is the end result then I am ok with the spelling Now, to clean house and hit the beach before I go to work this afternoon. And yes honey, I will be careful not to hurt my hand

pregnant rant

I'm 8 months pregnant- I'm entitled to the occasional rant and rave. Today is one of those days so beware me if you cross my path.

Today has been a crappy day at work all around, and so I decided to indulge during lunch time and treat myself to Mickey D's. Apparently me and everyone else in Cool Springs had a Big Mac Attack at the same time because the line was wrapped around the building- as if there are no other places to eat in Cool Springs- what gives??!! But fine. Here I am in line, I'm not moving. It's too hot to have the windows down so I'm running the A/C, I'm aggravated that I'm using so much gas on my lunch break, and then to top it off, when I'm finally scarfing down my food in the car on my way to run another errand, I realize the people at McD's gave me Diet instead of regular Coke! Today of all days! Can't a girl get a break and enjoy her crap food in peace? Grrr

Hannah's bannanas!

Vomit. 15-year-old Miley Cyrus has just signed a book deal to write her memoirs. Seriously?! What trials and tribulations has she had the time to experience, overcome, and reflect upon in the, let's say, 12 years of her life that she can remember? I'm all for hailing Miley Hannah Montana whatever-the-heck-she's-calling-herself-these-days Cyrus as a positive roll model for the tweeners, but I think penning a memoir on the cusp of barely achieving puberty is a bit much. To read the story for yourself click here, and then maybe we can all scoff and vomit together.

April Showers

... bring June Babies.

Hmm- doesn't quite have that nice ring to it, does it? At any rate, Saturday was the long awaited Baby Bradley Bambino Bash that Mama B threw for me and my son-to-be. Ironically, it showered on us as we made our way into the clubhouse, but ended soon after the shindig began. We had a lovely assortment of munchies, and flowers, and plenty of baby decor. I spent a ton of time working on a clever Baby Mix to play as ladies were entering and mingling, but unfortunately it looks like all that work fell on deaf ears. Oh well... at least I enjoyed my own cleverness. I'll have pics up later, but Baby Bradley racked up! I now have a good jump start on the infant essentials that will help welcome BJ to the world. Less than 2 months and counting...

Baby Bradley's first Kentucky Wildcat outfit!

Buried in a sea of baby gifts

the adorable diaper cake that Mama B made

Shaken, not stirred

I used to be the heaviest sleeper in the world. Now with Baby Bradley taking up so much room in my belly, it makes sleeping a bit trickier these days. I spend my nights tossing and turning from my right side to my left, curling up with my long body pillow (a must have for any Prego Person!), so it wasn't all that shocking when I woke up at some point during last night/this morning. What was shocking was that once I was awake and redistributing my pillow to the opposite side of the bed, I noticed that the house was rattling. Too long to be a roll of thunder, I surmised that it must be an earthquake, remembering that the New Madrid fault line was only a few hours west of us. (How I managed to put such a cognizant thought together when half asleep is nothing short of a miracle for me). When the rattling stopped, I rolled back to sleep, and forgot all about the incident until it was plastered all over the internet this morning.

Many people I know slept right through the earthquake tremors, so I guess you could say they were shaken, but not stirred!

a shining birthday

Yesterday was Daddy B's birthday (In 4 years, I could be 60, was his comment to me). We celebrated by having a big home cooked breakfast after church, and afterwards, dad opened his presents. My dad has this thing for outdoor lighting, so for his birthday among other gifts, he received 2 kinds of outdoor lights. One was a set of two solar-powered lights that by day appear to be landscaping rocks. Basically you pull them out of the box, peel the protective plastic from the solar panel on top, and place in your yard. However, these hi-tech gadgets came with "installation instructions." We laughed at the prospect of "installing" these rocks in the yard, and how one could consume an entire afternoon with the installation process. I sang the token song of course, "this little rock of mine, I'm gonna let it shine..."

In other shining news, another part of dad's birthday presents was tickets for all of us to drive out to Shopryland to the IMAX theater to see the Martin Scorcese documentary about the Rolling Stones, Shine a Light. Dad loved it, but not as much as this one guy sitting in the row in front of us who literally clapped after every song. (I guess it was his first Stones concert.) I wish the movie had included more backstage and behind-the-scenes footage; all in all it was more of a concert experience than what I was expecting, but still we all left giving the film a thumbs up.

Blog sidenote: This marks the 666th Diva Domain post! Oooh, how ominous!!

I hit the flo

Anyone familiar with the recent hip-hop hit from the Flo-rida Boyz? The chorus goes something like this:
She hit the flo
Next thing you know
Shorty got low low low low low low low low

Well that's what this Baby Mama did yesterday while fighting with the computer printer. I totally missed the computer chair and my bottom landed smack flat on the hard tile floor, sending family members rushing into the room to make sure me & BJ were ok! Luckily I have plenty of padding to cushion the fall, so I was able to laugh it off while being pulled up off the floor, allthewhile with everyone in the vicinity singing my new "theme song."

Happy Mama B-day!

Today is Mama B's 55th birthday (she's at the stage in life where it doesn't matter anymore if you reveal a lady's age!), so I've been razzing her about all her possibilities in the Senior Discount Realm. She has heard that Ross For Less offers them, and I believe that Kroger has their weekly senior discount day on Wednesdays (I could be wrong on that, so don't hold me to it- plus it varries from area to area). I decided to do a little research and came up with a nice little list of available discounts for all you 55+ people out there... considering a large portion of this blog's audience isn't quite at that mark yet, share this with your favorite coworkers, parents, and sweet elderly neighbors.

• Belks First Tuesday of the month. 15% discountAges 55+.
  
  Goody’s Every Wednesday. 15% discount with some exclusions. Ages 55+.
• 
  KB Toys Sign up for the Grandparent's Reward Program, and receive 10 percent off your entire purchase on Tuesdays. Ages 50+.
• 
  Kmart Gold K presciption discount program. Up to 20% discount on prescription medication. Ages 50+.
• 
  Long John Silvers Discount for ages 55+.
  
  National Car Rental Everyday. Call 1-800-CAR-RENT for details. Ages 50+.

Happy Birthday Mama B! I'm excited to celebrate tonight with some yummy Macaroni Grill!

In need of a pedi-cure!

7 months and counting, and as fascinating as this pregnancy as been so far, there are times when I am ready for the baby to hurry up and get here!  Like when I'm trying to nap in the car on a road trip this weekend, and the little one decides it's a perfect time to wiggle around in my tummy so that I can't sleep, or when I've laid down to go to bed at night, and the blessed one kicks me (or punches me- I can't really tell which)  so hard that I scream out loud, waking up others nearby who are enviously already asleep- or were, as the case may be!

Sometimes the baby interferes with a DIVA's beauty regime- like, for example, not being able to use and cleansers or face creams with acne-fighting salisylic acid in them throughout the pregnancy, or being recommended to stave off hair colorings for the first 3 months when one is already in desperate need of a coloring pre-pregnancy.  Today's experience was another first.  I had been putting off attempting a pedicure since my last professional one mid-February, and the grown out nails and polish finally got to me today so I resolved to pamper my pups.  

First things first- taking off the old polish.  This proved to be as difficult as I had been imagining it to be, thus my valid reason for putting off this chore for so long.  I propped my feet up on the edge of the stool on which I was sitting and proceeded to lean over and swab the cotton-soaked pad over my toes.  Several laborious minutes and many gasps of breath later, the nails were clean.  You cannot imagine the difficulty this once-simple task of taking of toenail polish could be when one is manuevering around a protruding belly, and bending over said belly cutting off one's breath supply!  Let me just say I should have taken Ari's advice to let her paint my toes for me, but for my own stubborn pride's sake, I just had to attempt to tackle the task myself.

Several more gasping breaths later, my toes were clipped, filed, buffed, and lotioned, and ready for polish.  Then came the laughable task of applying two coats of pink polish to the nails.  Because of my rotund tummy, I couldn't bend over far enough to get a close look at my own handiwork, so I relied more on sensory than sight to confirm my progress.  When I finished, I could tell they weren't going to pass for a professional pedicure, and much to my chagrin, my own thoughts were confirmed by my sister when I thrust my flip-flopped foot in front of my sister and asked the hopeful question of "how do they look?" and she answered me with a "you should have let me do it."

Guess I will have to carve out some time and money soon to let the pros do their thing, because a DIVA cannot parade her tootsies around town in open-toed shoes in the spring with feet in such a shameful state!  

'Greatest Wildcat of them all' dies - Sports

'Greatest Wildcat of them all' dies - Sports

This is a link to an article about Bill Keightley... UK's Mr. Wildcat.  He's a legend of Kentucky basketball sharing the UK bench as the equipment manager for the men's basketball team for over 30 years, serving under every coach since Adolph Rupp.  To say he had a great impact on Kentucky basketball and that he will be missed is an understatement.

April Fooled

Yesterday I played one of the greatest April Fool's jokes ever... maybe even better than the time I called my parents collect from college and told them I had been arrested at 1 in the morning... (maybe)

I had my first appointment with my new ob/gyn (Dr. Erin Yu... Love her!!) and afterwards, I called Brian to let him know how everything went. He was in the car with one of his coworkers when I called.
"So how did it go," he asked.
"well," I said slowly, "are you sitting down?"
(obviously he was, since he was in the car, but I had to say this for dramatic effect)
"yeah," he replied.
"Well honey... we're having twins!"

His reaction was priceless!! So much so, that I feared dragging it on too long lest he wreck the car!

"April Fools!!" I shouted gleefully after he asked me if I was serious, and shouting a few choice words.

The definite article

He's the man. That takes the cake. Madonna is the queen of pop. Jesus is the Son of God.

Funny (strange) how we often overlook the powerfully defining three letter word- T-H-E. It just doesn't have the same effect when you say he's a man, or Jesus is a son of God.

What's even funnier (ha ha) is when the is used in conjunction with something not normally defined in such finite terms. And somehow this keeps popping up in conversations I'm having with people, and it doesn't get any less-funny. But what is it about the that makes going to Walmart, versus The Walmart so much more comical? George W. was once quoted saying he used The Google, and my friend Anne Todd in college used to talk about the time when she had The Palsy (Bells Palsy, that weird disease where the whole side of your face goes limp for months at a time!)... somehow using The in front of the ailment took some of the serious edge off her prior suffering.

Last week I had a scare where we thought I might have gestational diabetes for the rest of my pregnancy, and I was in stitches in the hospital lab when mom mentioned that one of her friends had The Diabetes when she was preggers.

If someone can explain just why this is so funny, please let me know. Or if you have other real life examples please share! Maybe I am just simple minded, but until then, I'll just go about my day writing The Blog.

March Madness

I'm at the end of my 6th month of pregnancy, and in one of my baby books I read that my uterus is now the size of a basketball.  After months of barely showing I can no longer hide the baby belly that is filling out my maternity tops, so if you can't beat em, join em!

It's no secret that I love ncaa basketball and live for March Madness every year, and the irony that my stomach is the size of a basketball was too good to be true, so we took the simile and ran with it.  It's true that it's March and I really must have been mad to let them do this to me! 

Easter Parade

The Lord is risen!  He is risen indeed!  The Bradley family continued traditions of dying Easter eggs, and we had our yearly Easter egg fight today where everyone chooses an egg, and hits little to little end, then big to big end of another family member's egg.  Ari was our winner this year with her blue and green egg!

Below are a few shots from our annual Easter photo op.  Don't we look pretty in our pastels? Laura griped that we didn't hunt eggs and watched enviously from the kitchen window as the neighbor kids hunted Easter eggs in their backyard!  The Easter bunny came, and then we settled in for an afternoon of basketball.   

Franklin's Finest

Daddy B and I were in downtown Franklin this morning for an appointment, and upon pulling out of the parking garage I noticed a slip of paper under the windshield wiper. Is that a ticket, I asked? Sure enough, we'd been cited. And what may you ask was our heinous crime?? Illegal parking. But not just any illegal parking violation- because I assure you, the parking garage is number one, free to park in, and also had plenty of spaces available. But no, we were parked illegally because apparently "Head-in parking" is required.

So I have an $11 ticket to pay to the City of Franklin because we backed into a parking place. Are you kidding me? If the Franklin police have nothing better to do than patrol parking garages on weekday mornings then I suggest we need more donut shops in the area. I would love to go to court and contest it and ask the judge and officer the very same thing- your policemen have nothing better to do than cite your residents for ludicrous laws that, by the way, I've never seen a sign for in this or any parking garage? But the time off work and gas money it would take to get me to court would be more than the ticket, so I guess this is one battle I resolve to lose.

But just so ya know, don't back into parking places in Franklin parking garages because Big Brother Is Watching You!

Ultimate Peep Show

Someone sent this to me in an email a few weeks ago and I thought it was the greatest thing ever. So in honor of our Lord and savior being celebrated this coming Sunday, I saved this pic for Easter week to post on the blog. Nothing reminds you better of Jesus triumphing over death like marshmellow peeps.

March Miracles

Well I'll be a monkey's uncle.  I retract my statement about the Cats from my last post.  Uninspired (and lacking faith in my Wildcats, you're right- sorry Ellen!) I didn't even watch the NCAA selection show this evening.  In a surprise turn of events though, Kentucky was awarded an 11th seed and has to play #6 Marquette on Thursday.  Here's how I found out:

I'm upstairs in my room talking to mom, and from downstairs I hear a voice hollar up at us, "Kentucky made it!"

"Are you kidding me?  What seed are we?" Mom asked.

"11" the person said.

"Who do we play?" we asked.

"Marquette."

"Sh$t." I said. 

Laughter from downstairs.

It's true.  Marquette is one of those teams Kentucky fans hold a grudge against.  I can remember that horrible game in 2003 when many experts thought Kentucky would win it all, and stupid Dwayne Wade led Marquette to an unexpected upset against the Cats, dashing our hopes of another national title.

But all in all, I am just pleased to have made the tournament.  It's way more fun to fill out brackets when you have a vested interest.  If you're not already in a pool, Facebook has an application you can add.

one month anniversary

Weird... one month ago today I was at my wedding reception.

A lot has happened in a month, and meanwhile my belly keeps getting bigger. Laura and I watched the baby kicking my stomach yesterday morning- it was so funny to see my tummy rising and falling in the spots where he kicked! Sometimes I am convinced he must be practicing bicycle kicks for his future soccer career or else he thinks that I am a punching bag. The miracle of life never ceases to amaze me though whenever I feel this living being moving inside of me without me having any control over him whatsoever.

I would be excited about March Madness getting started with selection Sunday today, but seeing as how Kentucky lost yesterday in what had to be one of the weirdest SEC tournaments ever, it looks like we're gonna be NIT-bound.

Even basketball can't cheer me up these days, but my babysitters are doing a pretty good job of keeping me occupied.

the Big Blizzard of '08

Beggers can't be choosers I suppose.  We wound up with about 2 inches of snow in Franklin.  Not exactly the 6 inches that I was hoping for, or even the 4 inches I would have settled on, but snow nonetheless.

We bundled up and headed outside after breakfast on Saturday morning only for it 

all to have melted by lunchtime, and today, Sunday, it was in the 50's here!  Crazy Tennessee weather!

Funny Ha ha

Looks like somebody's gotta case of the Fridays, and that somebody is me! Having "the Fridays" is almost worse than having "the Mondays" because the last day of the week creeps by so slowly and the anticipation of 2 whole days with no work is almost tangible but not quite.

Anyways- it's a bleary, gray day this morning with the promise of 2-4 inches of snow accumulation tonight according to the weather channel, and I am half awake this morning. They tricked me into getting to work early this morning (and by early, I mean ten whole minutes) bu luring into an 8 oclock meeting with a "special guest." Turns out the special guest was one of our coworkers, so I feel cheated. And they didn't even give us breakfast. 4 morning meetings in one week and no breakfast for any of them. I feel like a cheap date who didn't get dinner.

But I digress... if you too are suffering from a case of the Fridays, maybe you could use a laugh. I found this hilarious- so much so that I laughed out loud at my cube, and then had to stifle the laugh, lest anyone else notice that I was watching a video on YouTube instead of working. So anyways, here it is- enjoy it at your own risk!

Disaster Divas

Today's friendly public service announcement: Calling all ladies with dresses to donate:

These gals live right here in TN have set up this site and are calling themselves the "disaster divas." They are collecting gently used prom and bridesmaid dresses to donate to victims of the recent wave of tornadoes that have swept through Tennessee.

It's a great cause, and a great excuse to get rid of dresses you'll never wear again (despite the brides who will try and convince you otherwise when you buy those gaudy taffeta monstrosities). Plus these gals claim to be divas like myself and their website is pink... that's a great reason to promote them if I don't know what is!

film reviews

The movie critic is officially: IN

With my lightened load of activities post-wedding, I have enjoyed catching up on some movies I missed the first time around.

First off- Becoming Jane- rented this one, and it was quite the letdown I thought. It was Pride & Prejudice without the hot Mr Darcy. Instead I tried my hardest the entire movie to like James McAvoy. But try as I might, I just cannot cast him in the role of a convincing strong leading man. Apparently everyone else in Hollywood thinks differently since he's become quite the "it boy" of films this year, but for me, Anne Hathaway could have done so much better for herself!

Secondly- Across the Universe- a quirky film, but a must-see for any Beatles lover. The avid fab four fan will love the song references in character names, one liners, and the music incorporated throughout. It has rekindled my love for the Brit band and have added them back into my daily repertoire of itunes mixes.

Finally- I went to the theater to see No Country For Old Men. As this year's best picture winner, and one I originally intended to see anyways, it did not disappoint! Javier Bardem's best supporting actor win was warranted with his portrayal of a bleary-eyed assassin, and merited the win on his bad paige boy haircut alone! In true Coen Bros. fashion, the drama definitely had its share of dark comedy moments which balanced nicely with the suspense of the film. It's for sure one of those movies that draws you in, and leaves your mouth gaping when the credits roll!

Breaking the news about Wind

Contrary to the popular belief of most males, girls fart. Some of us are more liberal and forward in our sharing than others, but it does happen. I've always been in the school of thought that promotes the "hold it in, we all win" philosophy. I won't fart in public, in front of guys, and rarely in front of my family. Farts belong in the bathroom on the toilet. In fact, I can't believe I'm actually writing about this here for all the world to see, but there's something about pregnancy that makes you much less self-conscious that you used to be! I hop on scales, pee in cups, talk openly about my female issues, and eat as much as I want to without consideration that I look like a heifer. I also have terrible gas right now as a side effect of the pregnancy!

It's become a running joke with Brian and my family because I make no apologies about the fact that I am passing gas quite frequently these days. Everyone laughs when I do because it is so out of character for prim and proper me, who months ago, would have shuddered at the thought of posting the word "fart" in a blog. I still hate the word, but call it whatever cutesy name you can come up with, but a fart is still a fart, and it's a disgusting-but-natural part of life! It's also a very common side effect of pregnancy!

Today I chanced a silent one at my desk, then realized in horror that if I could smell it, those around me probably could too! I hope no one was the wiser, but I think I'll stick to my original mantra of "hold it in, we all win" while in public places, or else make a mad dash to the ladies' room until this phase passes (pun intended).

the pics heard round the world

Just what you've all been waiting for! Click here for the link to our wedding pics!

And the academy award for best dressed goes to...

My post ripping the poor actors to shreds for their bad fashion choices was getting too long so I opted to do another, shorter post for the few glammed up gals that I gave a thumbs up to.

My favorite lady hands down was Mrs. Josh Kelley! Katherine Heigl, like so many of Hollywood's finest, chose a one-shouldered number, but unlike most of her peers, she coordinated it with appropriate makeup, classic hollywood hair, jewells, and clutch. Yay, stylist, for putting this Grey star in a hot fire engine red!

Another lady who I haven't read a single thing about since the awards was Mrs. John Travolta. Kelly deserves a lot of credit here for pulling off this tangerine gown in a fresh, glowing, yet age-appropriate way! I think she looks stunning.

Call me cliche, but I think last year's best actress winner for "The Queen" Helen Miren looks positively regal in this satin ruby gown with sparkley sleeves. And love her or hate her,

Penelope Cruz always seems dead-on with her understated ensembles. The gal can pull off classy if anyone can.

Okay, that's it on my vain obession with Oscar fashion! More to come on the whirwind life of this Diva soon!

when bad fashion happens to good actors

I know, I know, it's been forever since I've blogged! There's so much to do, and so little time to do it all. The other stories can wait. Right now I need my Oscar fashion opinions out there for the world to agree with. I am a devoted follower of the Oscars each year, and try to manage to see the big movies nominated. That didn't so much happen this year, but it doesn't mean I can't be a catty girl and comment on the outfits and hairstyles our stars sported. I mean, come on, it's only the biggest PR event these actors and actresses have for an entire year, and it's their chance to get all glammed out with no expenses spared. So that said, were our little starlets on a fashion budget this year, scrimping on jewells, hairstyles, and boring cheaper gowns?

See example A: Cameron Diaz forgot her makeup AND her bling, and I hope to goodness she didn't pay a stylist to tame her tresses! I've heard the rainy weather was wreacking havoc on all the ladies 'dos, but this was just ridiculous. See examples B and C, Jennifer Garner and Ellen Page. Both are sporting the same undone, hair in the face, growing-out bangs. Somebody please get these gals some bobby pins!

Anne Hathaway took a big fashion risk with this crimsom number. From what I've read she's appeared on both the best and worst dressed lists. Like so many ladies this year, she opted for a one-shouldered gown, but unlike most of them, hers featured a hideous swath of material flowers across the boddess, and this weird drapey off the shoulder accent. I'm not a fan. Even her big doe-y eyes can't distract me from a fashion disaster when I spot one.

Speaking of other controversial red-carpet dos and don'ts, Heidi Klum looked smashing in this bright red dress, but she accented it with hot pink earings and clutch! Isn't she the poster girl for fashion with Project Runway? At what point did it become fashionably daring to mix cupid's colors?? Now you know I'm a sucker for pink, but not at the expense of ruining my amazing red (carpet) ensemble. Go back to fashion school Heidi... carry on, people!

Hollywood's worst dressed couple had a new winner erm-Loser- this year. Usually reserved for Johnny Depp and his quasi-wife, This year Best Actor winner Daniel Day Lewis takes the honors with his red piped tuxedo jacket and Brown (yes brown!) lace up boots, and his wife's choice is Cher-meets-my-Christmas-presents, and is straight outta the 80's!

And finally (you knew I saved the best for last!) My Best, Worst Dressed Actress is none other than Tilda Swinson, aka the snow queen from the Chronic(what?)cles of Narnia. She merits 2 pictures because she's just that jaw dropping, and not in the good way. The hair is bad (as if she didn't look androgynous anyways?), no feminine jewels, and ohmygosh, I want to attack her with an eyeliner pencil so bad it's not funny!! The shapeless gown with way too much material is reminiscent of Missy Elliot's outfit in the Fly video from way back when. Aka, Tilda put on a garbage bag, combed her hair back with some Dep gel, smoothed some moisterizer into her face apparently.

last minute shout out from Miss Bradley

Guess the fact that I woke up at 4:30 am and haven't been able to go back to sleep lets me know the big day is approaching soon. Tomorrow at noon I will trade in my old last name (or passing it onto my son in a few months) and become Mrs. Amanda Lynn Vilendrer (it's like "blender" but with a "vuh" in front of it!). I never thought this day would come, but planning the event in a frenzied 38 days, it couldn't get here soon enough. Today's the day of girlie stuff as everyone gets into town and we have our nails done and put all the flower bouquets together- hot pink roses- what else??

So why am I blogging this morning when I have a million other things to do? I'm hyped up from the lack of sleep and caffeine (yep, I cheated and had coffee)... but the nail salon is calling my name, and I have to go get ready. The next time I blog on here, I will be a WIFE! :o)

and ps, yes, I did totally jinx Kentucky by blogging about our 5 wins in a row and then suffering the 2nd worst loss ever to Vanderbilt. It wasn't even embarassing so much as it made me speechless. But I take full responsibility for our loss. Sorry, Cats. Better luck tomorrow.

searching for Atonement of my own

Tadders and I went to see Atonement last week, and I am still wrestling internally with this film. I always like to make a point to see the movies nominated for Oscars, even though I'm way behind on that this year. I'd love anyone else's take on the movie if you've seen it though, because my first reaction that night was, okay, that was seriously depressing. The thing that stood out most to me about Atonement was that there was not a single likeable character in the entire movie; everyone is flawed, everyone is human, and my Gosh, Keira Knightly needs to eat something! She is tee-tiny to the anorexic degree.

I'm supposed to read this book for book club but don't know when I'll get around to completing the novel (or begin it for that matter, given the current circumstances of life!) so if there is anyone who has already read the book and can vouch for its validity and worthwhileness, I'm willing to listen.

What bothers me most of all is that I am still mulling over this film almost a week later- a film that has disturbed me so much, even though I claim to not have liked it. Does that make any sense at all?

Don't step on my Big Blue suede shoes

Really, I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop. I've said nary a word on here about Kentucky basketball this season because our preseason was so abysmal, and I had low expectations for this year's team. (Well, relatively low- any die hard UK fan believes deep down that their team will win the ncaa tournament every year, and is thoroughly disapointed if this doesn't manifest.)

I'm afraid I'm jinxing UK but I can't help myself- we have now won 5 in a row, and are about to play Vanderbilt again tomorrow, a team we fought tooth and nail for a win the first time around this season. Maybe Billy G is finally hitting his stride? True, our wins haven't been the "typical Kentucky" wins that fans prefer- the blow outs where UK outscores their opponents easily and the question of "will we win this game" never surfaces- but still, a win is a win, and for a team fighting for its rightful place in the tournament of March Madness at all, we'll take it!

Feeling like Ash this Wednesday

Lent begins today. I'm giving up smoking, alcohol, caffeine in large doses, soft cheeses, and cold lunch meat. That's right, those are all the things I've given up already for the joy of having Baby Bradley rumbling in my tumbly. I figured Jesus understood my plight.

Super Tuesday

The very first phone call I took this morning was from a lady speaking in a foreign tongue that I could not place. Three times I replied with Ma'am, I'm sorry I can't understand you... Having taken several different foreign languages in school, I'm no dummy when it comes to identifying something other than my native tongue, but this morning I couldn't even asertain what language of "englese" to request to her, and so finally she replied with "okay bye" and hung up.

Now hear me out. I have no problem with people immigrating to America to live and work, but dad gummit, if you're gonna live here, learn to speak the language! Keep your own culture and language for your own preservation, but if you choose to live in another country, you must be able to communicate with its citizens.

This is why it's important to get out there and vote so that the issues that matter to you can be handled by someone you deem worthy of handling them with your vote. It's super Tuesday, people. Go make your voice heard... in English, preferably.

The SuperBlog

For the first time ever, we're blogging in real time during the Super Bowl. Stay tuned into your webpages here for up-to-the minute commentary on pre-game, commercials, half time entertainment, and the game itself

PREGAME:

My family and I were delighted to catch the 4th annual Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet! Much more entertaining than the talking heads, the Puppy Bowl is a football-field -decorated play area where puppies of all breeds run around and play together. Referees come in from time to time and throw penalty flags for unsportsmanlike conduct and make puppy substitution, and you can vote online for your Puppy Bowl MVP!

NATIONAL ANTHEM

Performed by Jordan Sparks, last year's American Idol... sounded good, but she obviously was singing along with a pre-recorded track of herself. I get so tired of hearing people lip sync just so it will sound better. Whatever happened to real-live performances? I was way more interested in her black-tipped french manicure that complimented her sleek black dress.

Only a few minutes till kick-off, and to clarify my stance on the great quarterback debate, Eli Manning is just precious- I look at him and just want to pinch his cheeks! Tom Brady on the other hand is more of a man's man, and I'd like to pinch his (ahem) Other Cheeks ;o)

GAMETIME

5:37pm... 2 Patriots injured already, Manning's already made a few completions. The first commercial break was dull- a fire-breathing cat-allergic bud light one, and an homage to the Godfather in an Audi commercial... yawn. We have already decided that we hate the robot graphic that Fox is using for every break.

6:02pm- the Giants scored first with a field goal, but the Patriots retalliated at the end of the first quarter with a TD of their own. We all agree the gray pants for both teams are lackluster. Noteworthy commercials so far were the Diet Pepsi Max one with Chris Katan and the Night at the Roxbury "what is love song," and the Bridgestone tire one with all the animals screaming.

HALFTIME

Pats lead 7-3 despite Tom Brady getting sacked 3 times already. The Giants' defense is all over him like white on rice. The Justin Timberlake pepsi commercial was amusing, but my new favorite was the t-mobile one with Charles Barkley and Dwayne Wade. Stay tuned for Tom Petty's half-time show review.

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers- For a bunch of old white guys, they had good crowd appeal and sounded great. Much better than last year's Prince escapade. A pretty no frills half time show- just good music, and a bunch of jumping football fans trying to get on tv.

8:59pm- well, after we here in the Bradley household thought the Patriots had sealed the deal, but with 35 seconds to go, Eli Manning connected with Plaxico Burress to go up 17-14. This has been a low-scoring, relatively boring game thus far, and just got good here at the end. I will be happy no matter who wins- I'd like to see Eli follow in big brother's footsteps, but it would also be a feat to see the Patriots complete the elusive perfect season.

9:03pm. Holy Crap- the Giants have just won the Superbowl and beaten the unbeatable New England Patriots!

EVENING RECAP

Boring commercials, boring game... but a great upset finish to the 42nd Superbowl. The Manning brothers get back to back Superbowl wins. This is is your official Diva blogger, signing off!

Manning vs. Brady

Say it isn't so- the end of football season fast approaches! With little to be excited about in the way of Kentucky basketball this year, I hate to see the end of the Saturday gridiron, but I also don't want to count my chickens before they hatch. No use in mourning the end of a season before the main event arrives, right? That's right kids- this Sunday is the apex of NFL, the Superbowl of course!
Why do we love it, even if we hate the sport (are there really those of you out there who protest against pigskin?)

We love it because it's an excuse to eat crap food and get together for parties. It's entertaining to watch all the new commercials, and use the usually-dull game to discuss the commercial breaks. And who can forget Nipplegate?? (I know where I was when I watched that- do you?) Plus, it's interesting to see if the Patriots can actually go undefeated this season, thereby breaking the all-time record set by the Dolphins way back when, and HELLO, it's at least 4 solid hours of enjoying Eye Candy with Studmuffin Tom Brady (watch to see if he will play with the injured shoulder/ankle/ego!! and Cutie-patootie Eli Manning (you're not as personable as your older brother Peyton, but you've got the aww-shucks appeal and southern boy charm so we like you anyways). What's not to like??

The girls at Go Fug Yourself have really said it best with their article comparing the strenths and weakness of each QB, and we ain't talkin' bout completion rate, folks! Read and enjoy, and have a cold one for me on Sunday as you watch the main sporting event in America!

It's a...

BOY!!

No matter how much I had myself (and everyone else) convinced that it was going to be a girl, God had other plans for me and Brian. I am finally settling into the idea of having a boy, and we have chosen the name Bradley Derek Vilendrer for our future son!

Here's a long-overdue belly picture- right at 20 weeks, the halfway point of the pregnancy

And here's one of my favorite pics of Brian and I ever- in our matching I heart hot moms/dads t-shirts!

Decaffinated rant

(Warning: what you are about to read is a hormonal rant from a pregnant woman. The attitude and tone of the piece is in no way shape or form reflective of her "normal" self and is likely to be looked back upon as a humorous anecdote. However, at the time it was written, it was considered the utmost unfairness in all of life and has affected the author in ways others cannot imagine. Please love her anyways and don't hold this against her. And please bring her Starbucks. And lots of it... after the baby is born that is.)

I want my coffee, dang it! What is with the irony that a woman who becomes pregnant is suddenly deprived of all her favorite things when this is supposed to be a blessed time in her life? I am Grouchy Mcgroucherson this morning, and all I want is my morning cup of coffee to enjoy with my breakfast! I've been careful to watch my caffeine intake throughout my pregnancy, but just last week another study came out warning mommies to be about the impending dangers of caffeine, and specifically coffee.

Well I am a typical human. I want what I can't have. And now I want coffee more than ever! I can't drink. I can't go to smoky bars to hear live music, even if I didn't drink any alcohol. I can't have cold lunch meat, or soft cheeses, or cookie dough, or cake batter. I'm tired and not sleeping well, and yet I am deprived of my favorite morning pick-me-up! Darn you, researchers! My grandmother smoked and drank, and ate who knows what when she was pregnant and she delivered 7 healthy children. So why now- what is so horrible about a cup of Joe- a container of cappuccino- a jar of java- a little latte- a mug of mochachino??

Goin' to the Clovercroft Chapel and we're...

Gonna get maaaaa-rried!

Yep, that's right- you heard it here first- ( or last, depending on the person!)- Brian and I are gettin' hitched! Brian proposed on a weekend when I was down visiting him in Florida, and we immediately began making plans. Given his deployment schedule, and our baby on the way, we decided to have the wedding before the baby was born, and before he is scheduled to deploy overseas for a few months.

That time frame left us with very few options for dates, so February the 16th it is! The ceremony and reception are taking place at a little wedding chapel in Franklin, TN, and details are falling into place quickly! Needless to say, I'm lucky if I can blog once a week now with all the wedding planning that takes place during my work day, in between all my official responsibilities here, but I did want to share with the cyber-world my exciting news!

PS- Only a few more days till I go back to the doc and we find out some more exciting news!

It's a.....

The question everyone keeps asking (now that they're sufficiently satisfied with my answer that no, I've not been sick) is " is it a girl or a boy?"

Sorry to disappoint, but I don't know that just yet. Good news though- the ultrasound is scheduled for next Friday Jan 25th, so assuming that baby cooperates and shows us his or her goods on the monitor, we'll know the sex! The ultrasound is more than about finding out the sex of the baby though- it's a long diagnostic test where they take all kind of measurements to make sure everything looks normal, and gives us a better idea of when my baby might be making his or her grand entrance to the world, so while you might be praying for it to be a "her," would you also lift up a few prayers that the baby (and mommy) is healthy and that everything looks good? I'm a tad nervous about this biggie exam.

In other weird baby news, I found out yesterday that I have not gained a single pound with this pregnancy, even though I feel like a cow. I keep hovering around the same number despite the fact that there is a definite baby bump showing by now. The doc assured me that this isn't anything to be concerned about and the weight would come (I don't want my child to be malnourished!) and so I celebrated with lunch at McDonald's on my way back to work!

the obligatory question

I get asked this all the time: Oh, you're pregnant? So how have you been feeling?
I suppose it's a valid question and all, but my answer is usually a disappointingly-boring one. Good, I answer, and then feeling the need to elaborate lest I come off as being snippy, I haven't been sick at all. This is not the answer that most people seem to want to hear. They want the blood and guts stories- The I've been sick every single morning, and can't keep any food down story. But nope, not me. It's been business as usual for the most part. Sorry folks, keep moving, nothing to see here. Just a DIVA with an expanding stomach.

I suppose before too long I'll be dealing with perfect strangers wanting to rub my belly. Wonder if I could con them into rubbing my feet, back, and shoulders???

Charlie Wilson's movie review

I had one last Carmike movie pass to use up before the end of 2007 so Mom and I went to see Charlie Wilson's War. I'll admit, the biggest draw for me was the all-star pairing of Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts who amazingly, had never worked on a film together before. These two are easily some of my favorite actors so I had to catch their on screen charisma. Phillip Seymour Hoffman's performance was an added bonus.

Based on a true story about the Texas congressman, Charlie Wilson's War chronicles the US involvement in Afghanistan in the late 80's as part of the Cold War. I was shocked by how many millions of dollars went into a war we supposedly never fought, and was saddened by the end result, the repercussions for which we are still paying. Granted it's Hollywood's spin on the facts, with an obvious parallel on our modern involvement in Afghanistan, but it's like I was asking Brian tonight, sure, I know I can't base my political opinions by what I see in movies, but when the media gives such a slanted or lacking view on a particular topic, then where is Joe-Schmo American supposed to get their information?

From a purely entertainment standpoint, Charlie Wilson's War was educational although the plot details could be a tad hard to follow at times for a person not understanding the politics of the day. Hanks and Roberts performances as larger-than-life Texans were delightful, and Hoffman was perfect comic relief as the rough-around-the-edges CIA operative. Despite being a political commentary, the movie had a hearty helping of laughable moments thrown in making a film bout the Cold War somehow fall into the category of comedy. I think it's worth the laughs and to see he actors' performances in this one. Bradley & Bradley give Charlie Wilson's War two thumbs up!

A UK win: music city bowl to my ears

New Year's Eve was the perfect day for a little football. The University of Kentucky Wildcats took on the Florida State Seminoles in the Music City Bowl. We carried on our tradition from last year by grabbing a bite to eat before the game at Big River Grill, and Ellen and her new fiancee Jason came in for the game. Laura, George, and George's brother-in-law and sister were all in the same section as we were- thank goodness for FSU suspensions that hit just in time for Florida State to give up a bunch of their tickets and allowed Kentucky fans to snatch them up after the game had been previously sold out.

It was a sloppy game on both ends and very slow moving (almost 4 hours long!). Despite all the predictions that UK would win, it came down to the last possession with the final score of 35-28, UK, so we never really could relax and relish in our victory.

As of this posting, the SEC is 5-2 in bowl games, with Georgia well on their way to beating Hawaii making it a likely 6-2.

Baby on Board

Baby it's cold outside... Baby Mine... Hit me Baby one more time... Baby got back... Baby Love...

I'd like to welcome you all to 2008 by inviting you to join me in my next phase of life. The time has come to go public with the big news that Brian and I are having a baby! I am 16 weeks along as of yesterday, and little Baby Bradley's EDA is June 16th, 2008. No, we don't know the sex of the baby yet, but you can be darn sure I'm going to find out the minute I'm able so I can (hopefully) start stocking up on plenty of pink!

I have never been one of those girls to gush over babies, and I hated babysitting as a teen, so I can promise you, this DIVAlicious blog where you turn to for current events, and funny anecdotes will not transform into all-baby-all-the-time. I will remain to be respectful of my male audience and not share TMI, but I can promise this DIVA's spin on pregnancy and all the humor that goes along with it over the next 6 months. All I can say is that God must have a funny sense of humor, so I plan on laughing right along with Him!

Christmas come and gone

Another Christmas come and gone, and once again, no snow! In the magical land of Narnia it is their curse that it's always winter but never Christmas. Well in Tennessee it's always Christmas but never winter. We were greeted with sunny skies and near-60-degree weather yesterday upon returning home from Indiana. Oh well, so much for the white Christmas I was dreaming of!

The holidays were bittersweet this year because my Papa is in such bad health and we all know it was his last Christmas with us. I'm so glad that we were able to let him come home to his house and stay a few days before taking him back to the nursing home. Papa wasn't all that interested in all the Christmas goings-on, but as always I enjoyed having the house full of family. By Christmas morning it was just Mom, Dad, Laura, George, Julius, and Papa, so we let Papa sleep while we opened presents. George and Laura accused each other of not liking each other's presents, Dad loved his Shrek Donkey slippers and had fun shooting his catapult across the room. And Mom was excited to finally open the box from me and Laura- a red irobot Roomba vacuum cleaner!

We tried out the Roomba today, sitting it in the center of the living room floor and watched gleefully as it spun and made its way around the room. Oscar hated it and barked and followed the Roomba around, while the other 2 dogs could not have cared less! Laura came downstairs to see Mom and I watching the Roomba do its thing, when she remarked, I thought the whole point of that thing was to do other stuff while it vacuumed! Okay, so point taken. It was still fun to watch. The jury's still out on whether or not it's an effective cleaner, but we'll let you know.

Anticipating Christmas

Glory hallelujah, it's the last day of work before Christmas break! This DIVA will be off work through New Year's, returning to work reluctantly on January the 2nd. And speaking of DIVAS, I am so excited that DIVA convention 2007 is about to commence! Ari & I pick up Conley from the airport tonight and are celebrating our Christmas tomorrow with a swanky brunch at J. Christopher's. (Isn't it just so grown-up to say you're having brunch with your friends?) I absolutely cannot wait to see Conley- it's been since June since we've seen her.

BUT, to get me through the work day, and the rest of you out there, workin hard for the money, take a few minutes of your day and go HERE to listen to my favorite Christmas song that I had not gotten to hear until this morning, so now I share it with all of you!

And if the inevitable boredom or otherwise work apathy that plagues many of us before a holiday weekend sets in, click HERE to learn new vocabulary and fight world hunger! It's totally addictive and for a great cause.

Finally, even though today may feel like the longest work day ever, today is actually is the second shortest day of the year, with tomorrow being the Winter Solstice and the official start of Winter!!

Dad Gum It's Christmas

Everyone's favorite work eat-o-rama is going strong this week. Co-workers are bringing food in the a.m and p.m for all of us to enjoy so we can rationalize not making phone calls by eating the latest tasty treats put out on the table instead. I brought a hashbrown casserole last week and it was very well received, however, nothing could prepare me for the praise and accolades I got today for the famous Oreo Truffles! Here's what some of my co-workers have said:

"Those are outstanding"

"Let me just say that the Oreo truffles WIN!!! That is the best thang that has been on the table. Don't everybody get your feelins hurt but let me put it this way...my insides shivered when I ate that truffle. sheeeeewwwwieeee!! That is DadGum GOOOOD!!"

"As Adam so perfectly said, the Oreo truffles are causing teams Adam and Steve to have spiritual experiences on this side of the room. Praise Ye the Lord, Halleluiah!"

"Does anyone know a sure fire crash diet that I could try so that I can eat on Christmas Day without busting out of my fat jeans?"

Needless to say, my co-workers were appreciative, but now I feel like Monica on Friends where she makes the Christmas candy for her neighbors and they are all clammoring for more from the "Candy Lady."

the Friday review in real life

Friday night Tadd and I spent a delightful evening full of laughter and new inside jokes (such as, "what's new?" "monia." and defining HIPPA crits). We stuffed ourselves at PF Chang's for dinner, saw the Steve Carrell movie Dan in Real Life, got ice cream at Cold Stone (I just tried their Germanchocolatecake and it was to die for), and rounded out the evening by doing some Christmas shopping at Target! There is no one out there who makes fighting the crowds at the Cool Springs Target more fun, I'd wager.

Tadd & I both enjoyed Dan in Real Life- it was more of a romantic comedy than what I was expecting, but I like that Steve Carrell can play an everyman/serious role unlike Will Ferrell who needs to quit doing things like Stranger Than Fiction and just stick with Anchorman-esque roles. Dan (in the movie, not in real life) is a widower with 3 daughters whose day job is an advice columnist, but meanwhile, his personal life is all a mess. He tries to be a great dad while finding love again unexpectedly. With all the great holiday moves that are getting ready to release, I wouldn't put Dan in Real Life up there as a must-see in the theater, but it would be a great rental choice. I give it a hearty 2 thumbs up.

"The True Tall Tale of the Coming of Christ"

It's been a while for a concert review on here (I blame Starwood's demise that put a drudge on the usual hopping summer concert fare in Nashville). But last night I made my way to the famous Ryman auditorium (notice there's no 'h' in Ryman, Amy!) with some gal pals to experience Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb concert. This is a show he's done the past 10 years, and titled after the album with the same name, that's quite simply, the Christmas story told in music.

Christian music artist Andrew Peterson gathers his best industry pals, singer-songwriters, and talented musicians, and puts them all on one stage together to perform the entire album of Behold the Lamb continuously without stopping between songs. The musicians and singers transitioned seamlessly from instrument to instrument between songs with a performing ensemble as few as 3 or as many as 19. I felt so sorry for the live sound engineers as I could not imagine the work it must take for such a large and diverse group of instruments and singers to produce a cohesive sound, but somehow it worked- even with 4 percussionists (who ever heard of such a thing?!), 5 string players, guitars, mandolin, keyboards, and singers abounding.

Peterson's story in song starts with the old testament and the Israelites, and moves through the birth, life, and Resurrection of Christ to show how the whole Bible is about Jesus, not just the new testament. The humorous little ditty Matthew's Begats takes you through the genealogy most of us skip through at the beginning of Matthew's gospel. And Labor of Love, a song about the actual birth of Christ, performed by husband and wife duo Jill Phillips and Andy Gullahorn painted a realistic picture of the birth of Jesus in a beautiful way that only a husband and wife can do. With the entire cast on stage for the reprise and finale, they concluded the concert with an a capella O Come All ye Faithful, had the audience join in, and then casually left the stage, leaving the crowd to finish the carol in perfect harmony, like only a Nashville audience can do! It was a breathtaking way to end the evening.

My only disappointment was that this part of the concert flew by way too fast! I would have preferred an abbreviated "writers-in-the-round" first half, and additional songs inserted into the second half. I have several friends who attend this show every year, and now I know why! If this tour stops by your neck of the woods, make it a priority to attend. It's an interesting spin on hearing the Christmas story, and you'll be introduced to an all-star cast of Christian musicians.

I was born in the afternoon,

... just not yesterday afternoon!

A coworker emailed me just now needing some classic Motown song titles. So I shot off a few, and then stared at the word "Motown," thinking to myself, I wonder how they came upon that name to classify the music originating in Detroit. Then it occurred to me. Detroit is the Motor City, or Motor Town, MoTown for short! Don't laugh- maybe some of you out there have never put two and two together before either. I just figured I'd enlighten the rest of you. Or else give you a cheap laugh at my expense. Whichever category you fall under, may you have a pleasant Hump Day.

Christmas in Dixie

Ask me just how much I love walking out to my car on this sunny day in mid-December with short sleeves on??!! With this crazy warm front going on, we have the potential in Nashville today to break a record high with the predicted high of 75 degrees. As Carrie Bradshaw would say, me likey!

A Ham Shame

Raise your hand if you can tell me why this is funny: An upscale food store in Greenwich Village this week got caught in a food snafu when they advertised hams for sale with a sign that declared them "Delicious for Hanukkah"

2 Blogs about ham in a month... what are the odds of that??

Pink is the new red

Like the Charlie Brown kids sing, Christmastime is here. I celebrated by getting all festive in my cubicle yesterday, much to the delight to all my coworkers. The gauntlet has been thrown. I dare them to find cuter Christmas decorations and be more festive than me (of course you will understand that this is the office alternative to the traditional trying-to-
outdo- the- Jones' with ones neighborhood Christmas lights).

I am loving that pink Christmas decorations are in abundance now- a few years ago when I was on the hunt for such things as a pink stocking, they were nowhere to be found, so Momma B sewed this little creation for me, c omplete with my name in sparkles like I requested! Now you can go to Target and buy a fushia stocking already assembled. Oh well- once again, I was ahead of my time in the fashion world.


Finally, here's my favorite pink decoration- my very own sparkley pink Christmas tree! Don't be jealous.

Corigliano is for the birds

My stint with American composer John Corigliano's Dylan Thomas Trilogy is finally over. And not a moment too soon. I am now free as a bird from atonal, "quasi 5/4" time signatures (and I quote from the piece), and random hissing and bird calls, and have never been so excited to move onto some straightforward Handel as I am now! We birds of a feather flocked together as members of the Nashville Symphony Chorus, committing to 9 nights in a row of rehearsing, performing, then recording Corigliano's work, and in between singing we would all discuss how much we hated the music. Recall back to the Phillip Glass piece we premiered last year... that music was a stretch, yet by the end of the final concert I was sad to see it go. Not so with Corigliano. I have at most grown to appreciate the work, but if I never sing it again it will be too soon. According to the Tennessean, At least one person liked it.

We finished recording early last night, and as they say, the early bird gets the worm, and she also gets to go home and decorate her pink Christmas tree!

Bowl Bound

Yes, well, it's about time I bring up the elephant in the room... no, not that one... the other one. The fact that my beloved Kentucky Wildcats could not finish strong after having a terrific start to their season. (The one time we were top ten ranked, I wasn't even in the country to gloat and enjoy it while it lasted!) Well, we ended our season with a disappointing loss to UT... all 5 hours and 4 overtimes of it, and got rewarded with the same bowl game we went to last year.

Granted, I'm happy Kentucky gets to represent the SEC in the Music City Bowl, but I wish we had been awarded a more prestigious bowl. Tickets sold out for the game last night so I suppose I'll be watching the Cats whoop up on Florida State (that's right Rhonda & George!) on tv instead of the nose bleed section of LP field.

In the very least, UK has now proven that they are no longer one of the ugly stepsisters in the football powerhouse SEC conference. We are now able to compete within our conference, and yes, we even beat LSU who is now going on to play for the BCS national title, much to Missouri's chagrin. So there's always next year. Now it's onto a lackluster start to a Kentucky basketball season! let the games, um, continue!!!

the miracle balloon

My birthday balloon at my desk has finally begun to deflate. Unless you and I work together, you would have no idea, but I have had a balloon looming over my desk for the past month. I have never seen such a thing- but the Happy Birthday mylar balloon that was left at my desk over a month ago on November 2nd remained floating, the ribbon remained taut, for a solid month! The irony of course, is that I typically don't look forward to birthdays, and then I was given the birthday balloon that would not die, as a daily reminder! But miraculously, a month to the day later, the birthday balloon is finally dropping, and will soon go to the happy place where all balloons go to die. How did the balloon know that it is now December, and no longer warranting a birthday celebration? I'm baffled.

Come out with your hams up!

Pre-Thanksgiving post number two:

I just went and picked up the ham from the Honey Baked Ham Store in Cool Springs for my mom. It was my first experience in doing so- and let me recommend that if you must make this trip, go at 2 o'clock in the afternoon like I did, because I was able to walk in and walk right back out. I was prepared for much worse, and the velvet ropes that guide you through the store suggest lines might be worse at a later point in the day as well.

Anyways, they have picking up hams down to a science, and as I was led through the small store, following the path marked out by the ropes, I glanced around while I waited for my turn at the next available register, and was shocked by what I saw. There by the door, sitting unobtrusively was a security guard! A security guard in the Honey Baked Ham Store! I made small talk with the cashier and inquired about the need for the added security, and he laughed and made the comment that he thought it was more for the employees' protection than the customers. I can just see it now. Some cheapskate comes in and tries to steal a Thanksgiving ham. Or worse... some wenchy Brentwood soccer mom pitches a fit because she waited til the last minute and expected to waltz in and buy a ham on the spot and gets irate when there is no pork to be had.

I'll see your 5000, and raise you 500

I was on the phone with one of my customers earlier and she asked me if I had seen the Today Show this morning. When I answered no, she told me they had a special report on Thanksgiving and said the Average American consumes a whopping 5,000 calories throughout the day!! And that's just the average! Yikes!

That statistic made me think twice, but I'll probably just do what I normally do in times like these- put whatever I want on my plate and try to keep the portions small. I have a habit of finishing whatever is on my plate so even if I'm full I press on and consume it all, and then of course have desert to fill the notorious "desert pocket" that always needs to be filled. So if I can do damage control up front and not let my eyes get bigger than my stomach I don't have to feel guilty on indulging in whatever I want. For those who'd like to see the Today Show article on how to pare down the hidden calories, and a listing of typical calories in Turkey Day dishes, be my guest. They give you helpful hints like trimming 100 calories off your dish by cutting off the pie crust. I say, why ruin a perfectly good piece of pie by cutting off the best part (and then skipping the whipped cream... Riiiight)! So read at your own risk of feeling guilty, and wanting to tell them to take their reduced calorie Thanksgiving tips and shove them up their turkey

Manly Men

So a group of us had this conversation yesterday and I'd like to open up the floor for discussion. It started off with me recounting to Ariana a recently-viewed FRIENDS episode where Monica is dating Tom Sellick. Bart chimes in that Tom Sellick is such a manly man- a guy's guy. To this Ari & I heartily agreed. So then we proceeded to come up with a short list of other "manly men."

• Brett Favre
• Bruce Willis
• Will Smith
• Wesley Snipes
• Robert DeNiro
• Al Pacino
• Babe Ruth

Up for debate: Robert Redford, Richard Simmons (just kidding), George Clooney

So I'd like to hear from the peanut gallery. Who do you think qualifies as a manly man? (by definition, a man whom women adore, and guys admire) Do you agree with our choices?

An Opera Opportunity not to be missed

Ugh... Friday afternoons are the worst! The weekend is so close, yet so far away. I should be making calls, but I'd rather blog and tell you what I'm doing this weekend. You the reader will glean more from my blogging than my calling out anyways, so I think the choice is a no-brainer!

Tonight I'm treating myself to an evening of culture. The Nashville Opera is premiering a brand-new opera, never done by another company before, called Elmer Gantry. Based on the novel by the same title, it's an American opera (sung in English) about an early 20th century evangelist named (you guessed it) Elmer Gantry and his rise to fame in rural America. The opera promises to mix classical styles with gospel and hymns for a distinct American flavor. I'm excited too, because Tadders has a small solo role as a member of a gospel quartet. Another interesting thing about this opera is that the male and female leads are a baritone and a mezzo-soprano, instead of your typical wimpy tenor and shrieking soprano. If you're a Nashvillian and you choose to go, click here or here for more info!

Tomorrow's schedule proves to be a busy one: yoga, followed by a breakfast with 2 of my favorite gals, MA & Emmy Sue. The UK game comes on at 11:30, and then tomorrow night we're celebrating Lana & Siebe's birthdays at the ever-trendy Cabana. Mix in some boxing and packing and moving, and you've got yourself and action-packed weekend!