illini_girl, why the heck are you so BORING these days on your blog?

Well, my real life is far from boring, but I just have exciting things going on that I am unable to disclose.

WHAT?  Why in the world would you want to keep personal things of the world wide web???

I know, right?  It’s not usually my style to keep to myself.  Sorry to my readers. . .

Shouldn’t you be packing for your Thanksgiving trip?

Um, yeah. . . I probably should, but I’m not.  I basically know what I’m taking though.  Basically.

When is your flight?

6:40 a.m. Wednesday morning. . .

WOW, that sounds like fun.  Are you one of those freaks that has to arrive at the airport super early?

Uh, yeah.  Even though it’s early and I’m at the closer airport, I’ll still probably leave at 4:30 a.m.  :\  I am still thinking about taking a cab so I don’t have to hassle with holiday parking. . .

How many lightbulbs did you replace this weekend?

Funny you should ask!. . . Six.

Were you in the DARK?

Partially. . . but all of my bulbs started going out all in the same week.  Annoying!  Now, I can see in the kitchen again.  Seeing things in the kitchen is essential.

Okay, this blog is boring me to DEATH. . . tell me SOMETHING exciting!!!

Um. . . I am considering buying a decorative scarf, but I refuse to wear one in TX so I didn’t buy one. . . but maybe I should have bought one for Thanksgiving?  Dang.  The thing is. . . I’m not fashionable, and I don’t know how to wear things properly.  I need a Rachel Zoe.

*That* was your exciting tidbit?

Yep, that’s about it!

I am so done with you. . . go to bed.

Okay. . . I might just be sensible and go to bed, but don’t count on it. . .

My friend Amy (HOLLA!) sent me an email with this info. . . and just to be sure, I looked it up on snopes.com, and it IS true. . . so DO IT.  Not only is it a good thing. . . but also, the cards you get to choose from are SO CUTE (drawn by kids).

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XEROX IS DOING SOMETHING COOL

If you go to this web site, www.LetsSayThanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in  Iraq and Afghanistan .

You can’t pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services.

How AMAZING it would be if we could get everyone we know to send one!!!

It is FREE and it only takes a second.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these?

Whether you are for or against the war, our soldiers over there need to know we are behind them.

This takes just 10 seconds and it’s a wonderful way to say thank you.

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Remember this “Open Letter to my Outdoor Plants“???

They fought back. . . because they love me. . . or maybe they are attention whores and just want to see me blog about them again?  Whatever the rationale, I’m proud of them!

Check it out!

Old pic. . .

Latest pic!

Old pic

Yes, there are still some dead leaves, but it’s BLOOMING and looks so pretty!!!  New pic!

Keep on keepin’ on!!!

I was watching an old Office episode tonight. . . here is a Dwight classic quote:

And then the next episode had a Michael classic. . .

And then the next episode was the Christmas party one where Meredith lights her hair on fire, and there is an intervention.  ALL. . . BRILLIANT!!!

Ok, so I do a Christmas newsletter every year. Over the past few years, it’s gone much lower on text and much bigger on pics. I’ve already flagged 40 possible pics for this year. I can definitely cut back. . .BUT I’m tempted to do a front and back side. Is that dumb? I mean, I’m not a family for God’s sake. . . I just have many adventures! For those that read here religiously or are on facebook (probably ~1/2 of the 90 I send out), it will be a lot you’ve seen and read about. . .but for the other 1/2 would probably enjoy it.

I will likely have more dialogue this year, too.

This weekend is do or die time!

Something that made me feel old this morning. . .

One of the morning shows had people call in and talk about pacts they made as teenagers.

One girl called and said that she and her best friend Timmy (or whatever the heck his name is) would get married if they weren’t married by the time they were 30.

WHAT?  Since when is 30 the drop dead date!?!?  I guess 30 might seem old to a high schooler. . . but seriously?  When I was in high school and thought about my pact date (not that I really had one, but I joked around about it with people). . . I always said 60 or 80 or something!  :)

I’m glad I didn’t make a pact for 30 . . . but the downside is that it appears that I’m decrepit.

Oh well.  ;)

In other news. . . apparently the U.S. is done with me on the dating scene, and would like me to try Canada on for size. . . mmmm-kay.   Funniest spam I’ve received. . . ever.

BUT I have GOT to get this off my chest.

S.P., I did not have much respect for you intellectually. . . but now that I’ve seen snippets from your book online, I also find you to be classless.  Trash everyone who’s ever wronged you. . . that’ll show ‘em!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20091117/pl_politico/29611

I hope you proved your point.  :\

A cool front came through my fine city this morning. . . I knew this was happening and was prepared for storms at some point. . . WELL, I woke up and heard on the news that the heaviest would be downtown by 7:00 a.m.  Eeek, I have been leaving at 6:45 or 6:50, and this was going to cut close.  I jumped in the shower and quickly threw myself together with plenty of time.  Walking downstairs at 6:35 a.m. . . . good deal, right?  UNTIL. . . BAM, it starts pouring!  In Texas, “pouring” kicks any rain from any other place’s butt.  There is just no comparison.  I ran outside, and thought. . . I’m heading East, the storm is heading East. . . but I’m sure I can beat it.  Ummm. . . it was a FAST moving storm and went right along with me.  Uh, yeah. . . pretty freaky heavy rain to drive in.

So. . . I get to work and think. . . this is going to take forever to go through this side of town.  It’s POURING. . . and I am parked far away because it was right before shift change.  I decide that I can’t waste time in my car, so I’m going to go for it.  Um, yeah. . . MY LEGS WERE SOAKED.  My jeans were so wet. . . soaked to my underwear!  My shoes were waterlogged, too.  The next bit o’ fun. . . it’s cold inside.  I sat on a coat, and covered up with a coat. . . and sat there most of the first two hours of the day, not moving because it was too uncomfortable to stand up.  It is *rare* that my motion detector lights go off in my office because I’m always up and about.  Yeah, they went off during those two hours, so clearly, I’m never that still!

At 9:15, traffic finally went down heading West, and I had to go home and change clothes because I was miserable.

The moral of the story is, when there are torrential downpours, consider waiting it out. . . especially when they are FAST.  (20 min. after I was in the office, it stopped raining.  :| )

This was probably all meant to be though. . . because the good part of the day started then. . . I heard Debbie Gibson’s “Only in My Dreams” on satellite radio when I was pulling into the work parking lot on my way back from changing clothes.  I had to break myself away from the car to go back into work. . . (video is disabled, but watch it on youtube.  You will thank me later when your heart is smiling a big, purple, glitter, 80s smile).  :)

I’d like to give a shout out to Deborah (formerly known as Debbie) for turning my frown upside-down.  :)

25.  I am supposed to be cleaning right now, but blogging is more fun.

24.  I finally finished my adventures with Bella, Edward, etc. and crew.  Final thoughts.  I used to like Bella. . . then I grew to hate her for being so dang wishy-washy. . . and although I LOVE Edward, he is a little too sappy/lovey-dovey for my taste. . . yet if I had an Edward, eh. . . I probably wouldn’t complain.  ;)

23.  I probably would actually be on team Jacob if I were Bella. . . I mean, Edward is my clear choice, but I’m ALWAYS FREEZING. . . I need a Jacob in my life.  I can’t imagine sleeping next to an ice cube.

22.  I have had a bottle of Pledge sitting on my floor for two weeks.  I do not put it away because I keep thinking that by it sitting there, it will somehow inspire me to dust.  Nope.  Not effective.  I even vacuumed AROUND it last week.  ;)

21.  I have a TON of people to pray for these days.  Holy cow.  The latest is Grandma C., who had surgery for pancreatitis Friday night/Saturday morning.  She will likely be in the hospital a few more days.  Poor lady.  :(  Also, queenlizzle’s Grandma Mary passed away this weekend. . . please pray for her family.

20.  I downloaded Dierks Bentley’s “Trying to Stop Your Leaving” last weekend.  Why the heck didn’t I do that SOONER?

19.  If I have not mentioned it before, Keith Urban is my favorite country artist to dance to. . . why?  So many fun upbeat songs. . . and a lot of polkas.  I’m much better at polkas as opposed to two-steps.

18.  Whenever I see a driver that is doing absolutely stupid things on the roadway, it is my automatic reaction to yell angrily, “STUPID DRUNKS!”. . . it doesn’t really matter what time of the day it is. . . or if these people appear to actually be drunk.  Five seconds after getting angry and yelling this, I usually crack up at myself for being completely absurd.  :)

17.  My cheesecake is in the oven now.  Jealous?  My house smells like heaven.

16.  I used to go to church in New Hampshire every week at 7:30 a.m.  In Texas, I go at 11:00 a.m.  I do not understand how I used to do this?  While I miss CBS Sunday Morning, I really, really, really enjoy sleeping in!  I DVR CBS Sunday Morning, but I rarely go back and watch it. . . which is sad.

15.  The Office episodes have just been “okay” since the wedding. . . but I do really enjoy a few amazing quotes here and there.

14.  I am a little nervous to write about this. . . but I haven’t really had any BB bites in over a month.  I thought I might have had two on my neck a few weeks ago. . . but they never turned red, itched, or anything.  I think it was just two random bumps.  Could my insane sheet washing and my mattress wraps be helping?  I don’t know.  I do NOT want to spend $750 to have my house sprayed so I’m just hoping this goes away.  I think I have the mildest, yet longest lasting case ever.

13.  Did anyone see “30 Rock” a few weeks ago when Jack got BBs?  It was SO FUNNY.  I felt his pain.  He stopped being invited to meetings and such because people were like. . . “Eww, can’t those live on your clothes?” and treated him like he had the plague.  No one ever treated me like that, BUT I felt so DIRTY!!!

12.  I still want Candice Olson to redesign my house. . . but I’ve decided I want her to do my kitchen someday.  The last two episodes have been kitchens, and they are in-freakin-credible.

11.   I have done a lot of cooking, cleaning, and laundry today.  My house is HOT.  It’s still warm outside. . . 80 degrees today. . . and with the mugginess, it felt warmer.  A cold front is coming through tomorrow.

10.  My manager set up speed dial on her cell phone last week so all she has to do is touch my first initial, and my number is dialed.  She also did this for her husband, her mom, and her oldest daughter. . . Well, yesterday she called and said, “Hi, how are you you?”  I said, “Fine.”. . . She said, “Okay, we are getting ready to pull up so come on outside and help us unload. . . blah, blah, blah.”  (She thought I was her daughter.) I said, “Time out!  This is Hannah!”  We started laughing so hard. . . She said, “I take it you don’t want to come over and help us unload things then?  We have pizza!”  Hahaha.

9.  I think it works out to read my books closer to the book club deadline because I don’t remember much about the book at this point. . . having finished it ~ a month ago!

8.  I ordered two movies off of amazon.com that I couldn’t get at Blockbuster.  One is “The Agony and the Ecstasy” about Pope Julius and Michaelangelo and the painting of the Sistine Chapel. . . and the other is “Much Ado About Nothing” with Emma Thomson, Denzel Washington, etc.  That movie was filmed at one of the wineries Liz and I visited in Tuscany.  Yep, trying to relive my Italy trip through these movies.  :)

7.  I wanna GO somewhere! . . . like a MAJOR trip.  I am cursing myself for signing up for the fare advisor on tripadvisor.com because now I get alerts whenever there are cheap flights. . . yet I cannot go!  :(

6.  25 thoughts is a lot, people.  Sorry.

5.  My car is dirty, but it’s raining. . . and will rain tomorrow.  I didn’t want to wash it today.  People are very critical of this. . . especially one of my security guards at the entrance to my place, who said last week, “You are way too pretty to have a dirty car.”  Thanks. . . I think.

4.  I know that the next three or four or eight weeks are going to suck royally, with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I will cry if I think about it for very long.

3.  I am not decorating for Christmas this year.  I’m slightly sad about it, but really. . . I am not home enough to do it, to enjoy it, and I JUST FLIPPING GOT MY CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS PACKED AWAY HOW I WANT THE, FOR GOODNESS SAKES.  I might cave.  We’ll see.

2.  I found a picture of someone who resembles my version of Edward. . . on facebook. . . but I can’t post it because it’s a friend’s husband. . . and that’s just awkward!  :)

1.  Okay, seriously. . . I need to dust.  Happy Sunday!

Texas has some pretty amazing sunrises and sunsets. . . unfortunately, I’m usually in my car when I see them. . . and well, you all know how those pictures turn out!

Lately, the sky has looked uber-incredible. . . unfortunally, I either miss the sunsets because I work too late. . . or I can’t take pictures because it’s been taking me FOREVER to get home because of road construction (and the sky is dark by the time I get home).  The coolest shot would be from work. . . but I can’t line things up properly without obstructions.  I will keep trying.  From the front of my building, you can see the skyline against the orange/pink/purple sky. . . sooooooo beautiful.

Tonight, I was shopping a block from my house. . . and I thought the palm trees looked awesome against the unreal, colorful sky.  Unfortunately, the quality is not that great because I had to zoom big-time to get the stores and such out of the way. . .

Looks like a fake sky that you would see in cheesy postcards . . . but it’s real!