Friday Five

I've been mentally taking notes for some random Friday five ideas; guess I should have put them on paper! Let's see...

Friday Five
1. Every Friday a group of ladies and I get together for breakfast. It's sort of our party for surviving the week. We have been doing this for years- as far back as I can remember. Ok, last week we couldn't meet so Brad went to breakfast with me. Remember the Huddle House ordeal? This week he couldn't so I ended up eating breakfast at home- Honey Nut Cheerios to be exact. Anyway, it just doesn't feel like Friday to me! I guess I should have gone somewhere to keep the tradition going...

2. Even if it doesn't feel that way, it IS Friday and it IS payday. I love when those two days coincide together. WOOHOO for me :) Although the mortgage is due Monday. Such a downer. At least I have my paycheck for the weekend!

3. I have a few errands to run on my lunch break. What's new? Hopefully I'll have time to make a stop at Sonic, OR the snow-cone place. It's practically August and I still haven't had one. (Note to self: check cash before leaving.)

4. I have nothing planned for this weekend. Nope; not one thing I am required to do. Although the laundry room is threatening me. I have become close friends with my new pet dust bunnies. They have taken over a few places in my house; but seriously? Who keeps a super clean house?

5. Completely random... after having house guests for 7-10 days I finally got every dish in my house clean. Yay for me! Now that I have every dish in the house clean, I realized I'm missing two bowls. Yes, two. I have NO idea where they are. I thought maybe Brad broke one and tossed it so I wouldn't find out, but two? Who loses two? Weird. Maybe that's what my pet bunnies are eating and drinking out of now. Hmm....

I'm off to lunch. And errands. And hopefully a fattening fast-food lunch. See ya!

Test...

Just testing my new signature... what do you think??

Random thought--- the furniture market is in TWO weeks. I bet my new tape measurer will come in handy! I just hope I have enough money saved... and I can somehow get everything home and in its place before Brad gets home and notices it.

Amos Moses

Since I don't have any children (and don't want any for a few more years) I thought I would fill you in on my "fur child".
Here are some facts about Amos Moses:

Born: June 13, 2008
Adopted: September 4, 2008 from a terrible puppy mill breeder in Booneville, Arkansas
Also known as: Aims, Famous Amos, Bud, A-mooster, Amus- he also thinks his name is “Amos, NO”
Favorite treats: his kong, washcloths, ice cubes, peanut butter, meaty bones, zippers, etc…
Best Tricks: He does the basic sit-stay-down routines; that’s about it! Things also happen to come up with holes in them after he’s been around- is that a trick?
Favorite Dog Friends: None anymore- he has now outgrown my family’s Chihuahua, my in-laws’ Yorkie, Pug, and three labs, a friend’s Maltese, and another friend’s Shih Tzu. We don’t have any friends with large dogs! He does enjoy playing with the Pug, but it gets a little dangerous since Amos outweighs him by around 115 pounds.
Least Favorite Human Behaviors/noises: the vacuum, anyone knocking on the door, the broom/sweeping
Favorite places to nap: anywhere. He prefers underneath our kitchen table (we have to move all the chairs or he will knock them over); in the middle of the living room floor or on the loveseat with me.
Illnesses he has overcome: everything. He’s had everything imaginable- after we first got him, I took him to the vet 1-2 times a week for about three months. Seriously. Super expensive pup.

Amos is also hyper-attentive to the opening of the pantry door or any Tostitos bag, Nilla Wafers bag, or Wheat Thins bag. He will come galloping at us when we pull any of those out of the cabinet. Also, when I’m standing at the kitchen counter he will come sit right next to me- hoping to get a taste-test of whatever I have.

Amos napping underneath the kitchen table...

Snoozing on the loveseat. He knows not to get off his blankie. See that tiny spot left over? That's where I sit (uncomfortably) with a 130lb dog in my lap.

Driving Lessons

According to an article I found on the internet, "Buick introduced the industry’s first standard-equipment turn signals, with tail light signals activated by the driver to warn other vehicles and pedestrians that the vehicle was about to turn. " This was in 1939! Yes, that was 70 years ago. Apparently people have forgotten what that "stick" is on the left side of their steering wheel. Years ago I received the funniest email about turn signals/blinkers, but I must have deleted it. I've searched google over trying to find it, but no luck. I am not the best driver, but I do pay serious attention when I'm driving (I'm super good at multitasking). I ALWAYS use my blinkers... always. However, about 99.98% of Alcorn County does not.

Ok, after my little rant, I feel much better. Have a terrific Tuesday :)

Where Do I Begin?

Let me first say that I did not have my Sonic drink last week. Does that mean I get two this week?

Friday we had several people out at work so I was sent to work at our other Corinth branch. It was nice visiting with the other employees and customers that I don't normally see. It was also tiring- I'm not used to standing for 8 straight hours anymore. I have been spoiled; although some people would complain about sitting for 8 straight hours staring at a computer screen. After work Brad and I ate at Rib Shack (similar to Rib Cage, but not as good). After we got home our friend Levi came over. He and Brad were leaving early Saturday morning heading to Tupelo. We visited for a bit then went to bed. Everyone needed their rest! Ha!

Saturday we were up bright and early (6:00am to be exact). My mother, sister, and niece picked me up and we were off to Tupelo by 7:15. Brad and Levi weren't far behind us. My sister had a doctor's appointment- yes, on a Saturday and yes, at 8am! What a nice doctor to work Saturdays! Mother went in with her and Chloe and I rode around Tupelo. She was not a happy camper when she found out we would have to wait an hour before PetSmart opened up. We went out to the airport and got there just in time to watch Brad and Levi take off. Chloe LOVED it. She screamed and pointed until they were out of sight. I thought that would be the highlight of the day, but then we drove by the Buffalo Park on the way to the pet store and she was able to see buffalo, zebras, and horses. I thought she was going to come completely out of her car seat at this point. We finally made it back to PetSmart and were able to buy a laser that she will use to torture/play with her cats. We went back to the doctor's office and she quickly filled in her mom and mammy about the fun things she saw.

We went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast- Chloe loves that place. Then we hit up a few shops. She got a new Dora book at Books-A-Million and I got a cute little shelf thing for my bathroom. They dropped me off at the mall to meet Brad and Levi (they were in the air about 2 hours sight-seeing around Pickwick). We did a little shopping in Dick's Sporting Goods then headed back to Hinkle. The guys were nice enough to go grocery shopping with me after we got home. Of course, I had just taken two Benedryl- maybe that was the reason. We cooked out Saturday night and Kenny and Jenessa came over. Amos loved having people over. He loves the attention (and food people sneak him under the table!).

Sunday was another fun filled day. Brad was supposed to fly again with Thomas, his instructor. He made it about 20 miles down the road only to find out they had to cancel because of the weather in Tupelo. He made it to church just in time. I finally got a nap in Sunday afternoon. Those are the best! Brad was sweet enough to change out two light fixtures in the house before I cooked enchiladas and he made his homemade salsa. That salsa was WAY too hot for me, but he and Levi liked it! Brad even used habanero peppers from our garden.

Levi has headed back to Louisiana and it'll be another month before we see him again. He works for a company that rebuilds beaches and areas around water. He left plenty of pictures on my laptop so I'll post some later. I've already added them to facebook, but I'll get them on here sometime today. I'm headed back to the grocery store after work. Something about two guys, one girl, one 130lb dog, and a cookout emptied my pantry and frig! I hope everyone has a great week. I'm looking forward to it... Friday is payday! :) HA!

This is Levi- posing for the camera... Ha!

And here is Brad and Levi. I think (and hope) this was taken before they were in the air!

Friday Five

5 interesting things about me this week:

1. I've worked in two different cities this week. Oxford and Corinth.

2. I've worked at three different branches this week. Oxford Square, Corinth Main, and Harper Road.

3. It is Friday and I have not had my Friday Sonic drink. Not yet anyway. It's still early.

4. Brad and I had breakfast at Huddle House where I ate way too much and couldn't even hold a drink at lunch. See #3.

5. I discovered (no thanks to Kayla) that Kirkland's has set out some of their Fall/Halloween decorative items already. Now, if only I knew where to put the three things I bought until time to set them out... somewhere that my husband doesn't know about... :)

I have no idea what this weekend holds for me, so I'll let you know when I know. Ha! :)

Funny

Saturday morning, my mom, grandmother, sister, niece, and I loaded up and went to Memphis for a little shopping trip. I'm pretty sure I've already blogged about this, BUT I forgot to mention a few "funnies" from the trip.
Funny 1:
I drove mom's Yukon and my sister was in the front seat with me. My mom sat behind me; Chloe in the middle; Mama Lynn behind Courtney. We're going down the road and I can see Chloe looking at each of us almost like she was comparing us. Finally she said:
"Mammy, you and Mama Lynn have poufy hair. Momma and Aunt Cassie have flat hair like me!" Maybe it was one of those things where you just had to be there to see how funny it was. We got a kick out of it though.

Funny 2:
I should have posted this sooner because I've forgotten the details, but this is the important parts. After we parked in the mall's parking lot we were deciding if we were going to split up and shop separately or shop in a group. At one point my sister says "We'll go here and y'all can go there" and Chloe says "UH, mom, WHO IS Y'ALL???" Ok, I know we've all said that word in front of her before but she just now picked up on it! Chloe would say "y'all" and start laughing like it was the silliest word she had ever heard of. So for most of the trip it was "y'all" this or "y'all" that. Again, maybe it was one of those things where you just had to be there, but we thought it was funny!!

There was definitely a third funny, but I'll save it for another day. She kept us laughing all day. I wish I could remember everything she said!

Company's Coming and a New Recipe

Levi showed up at my office yesterday- complete surprise! I invited him over to eat after work so I started looking through my new recipes. I like to have people over when I try new things so I'll have more opinions of the food. I found a recipe a week or so ago for these lasagna rolls. I finally got around to making them last night for Brad and Levi. Both guys bragged on them so they passed my test! This is the recipe I found (sorry, but I'm not sure where I found it!)...

Lasagna Rolls

12 oz package of lasagna noodles
1 pound ground beef
1 pint (16oz) creamy cottage cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
pepper to taste
3 cups spaghetti sauce

Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package and rinse in cool water.
Brown the ground meat- I added garlic seasoning and some Italian seasoning to the meat as it browned.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese, egg and seasonings. I used 1/6 cup of parsley flakes; ;didn't have fresh parsley.
Once combined, add the ground beef.
Pour 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a greased 9x13 backing dish.
Spread about 1/3 cup of the meat and cheese mixture on each lasagna noodle and roll up as if you were rolling up a jelly-roll.
Place seam side down in the sauce.
Cover with remaining sauce and top with the leftover mozzarella cheese. (If you have any left over meat mixture, you can add that just before you add the sauce so nothing goes to waste!)
Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. or until bubbly. (Cover with foil and then remove for the last 10 minutes of baking time!)

I had to spread out some aluminum foil to roll up the lasagna noodles. I'm a messy cook! Also, I couldn't find "creamy" cottage cheese, but I found some "small curd" so I used that. That was the first time I had ever bought cottage cheese! I ended up having 12 "rolls".

I hope I didn't confuse anyone- I'm working in Oxford today, we had two people quit in three days and the auditors are here today. Enjoy the lasagna rolls! Let me know what you think.

Rest? On a Weekend?

Wow! Did anyone else have such a busy weekend that they actually went to work Monday to rest?

Friday was low-key. A friend of Brad's bought an airplane and had it delivered to the airport in Corinth. Larry, the friend, and Brad took it up for about an hour that evening. Afterwards, we went to Ruby Tuesday with a friend to eat. One bad thing about living in a small town is that there is only one restaurant still serving food at 9pm or after-- and that's Ruby Tuesday.

Saturday was fun too. My grandmother, mother, sister, niece, and I loaded up and went to Memphis for a little shopping trip. I spent more money on Amos than I did myself. He got new treats and a cute treat jar plus a new 50lb bag of dog food, a bed, and a new toy! I ended up with a black pair of pants, a top, and a dress. We were in Memphis a lot longer than we had planned but we had a great time. I ended up losing my sunglasses, but it's ok- I only buy cheap ones because I'm terrible about losing them! I got back home just in time for Pug, his son, Tyler, his daughter, Haley, and Brad to get home. Pug took the kids swimming and Brad had been in Tupelo flying. We decided against going to the Tuff Truck :( but we grilled out instead. There's nothing like Brad's famous grilled burgers, rotel, baked beans, chicken wings, and boudain to keep people happy! Ok, I do NOT eat boudain- I only buy it. I don't even touch the stuff when it's not in it's original packaging. Saturday was the first time I got to hang out with Haley- that girl is a hoot!

Sunday was family day at my mom's church. All the cute little kids from VBS were there to do their presentation. Afterwards we ate then the kids got to jump on a bouncy thing and eat snow cones. We left from there and went to a baby shower for one of our cousin's. Kelly's little boy, Zachary, was born prematurely so we didn't get to have her a baby shower before he arrived. I missed out on the 2nd baby shower I was invited to for the day, but we went over to the couple's house last night so I could give our gift and check out all of her little baby goodies.

I will spend this afternoon and tonight cleaning up from the guests, the cookout, and my usual weekend cleaning. I hate cleaning, but I'm so glad that our AR friends got to visit!

Friday Five

Friday Five

1. Went to Sonic for my weekly drink- ordered a lemon cream slush- got a lemon cream shake. Not too thrilled they messed up my order, but this is good. It goes on my list of favorites! It's almost too sweet (is that possible?)!

2. Our friend, Pug, from Arkansas is coming in this afternoon. Finally someone can stay in the guest room!! Ok, so Pug always falls asleep in Brad's recliner or on the couch- the man could sleep standing up. At least he'll have the chance to sleep in the guest room.

3. Pug's name isn't "Pug". He got the name because he looks like a Pug! HA! Don't worry, it doesn't bother him. He's had the name for years and he likes it much better than the name his mom gave him-- Sylvester. I call him Sly or Sylvester because he is always picking on me. For example... he sent me this text last night...
I miss you and I really want to see you, but this dumb security guard won't let me in the zoo. Can you escape? I have peanuts! I replied with "funny; you can just sleep in your truck this weekend!" He didn't' find that too funny.

4. Tomorrow morning my mom, sister, niece, grandmother, and I will be going to Memphis! We have a few places we need to go (mall, Hobby Lobby, Old Navy, etc...)

5. I really hope I can convince Brad to grill his famous burgers this weekend. They are SO good.

This is a picture of Pug, his daughter, Haley, and his son, Tyler; it was taken at my wedding. Tyler is such a character. He comes over a lot when Pug comes, but Haley's only been once- and that was for the wedding. She's not big on riding and it's a three hour drive!

I plan on trying out one or two new recipes next week. If they turn out edible I'll post them! Have a great weekend!

Tidbits of Info

Current Job: working at a local bank- since Sept. 2002
Originally From: Walnut, MS
Married In: March 2008
Siblings: 1 sister
Natural Hair Color: dark brown/black
Childhood sports?: Cheerleading
Mountains or Ocean: Depends on my mood. Just got home from the ocean and headed to the mtns in December
Sports Car or SUV: I'll go with SUV
Favorite TV Show: Bones, House, CSI, Golden Girls... lately I've been watching Royal Pains and Big Brother-- can't wait until the fall
Favorite Color: blue, red, brown
Favorite Board Game: haven't played in a while... maybe monopoly?
Favorite Fast Food: That changes from day to day. burgers- McD or BK; drinks- Sonic; fries- McD; nuggets- McD or Wendy's; etc...
How Many Times Did You Fail Your Permit/Drivers Test: 0! Made 100 on both
Pens or Pencils? Pens
Driver or Passenger: driver
Favorite Actor/Actress: Resse Witherspoon/Julia Roberts and Matthew McConaughey- they are the first to come to mind. There are several though...
Favorite Movie: Sweet Home Alabama, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Flyboys, Taken, Pretty Woman- just to name a few
Pop or Soda: I call everything Coke!
Tea or Coffee: tea, and it must be sweet!
Hand shake or Hug: deoends who the other person is- not big on handshakes though
One other little tidbit... I have a 13 month old 131 pound slobbery mastiff named Amos Moses.

I hope this helps you to get to know me better

Farmer's wife? Me?

Brad's friends from Arkansas were kind enough to send us some corn seed for our garden. Brad was kind enough to plant ALL of it. I just knew we would have enough corn to feed the Duggar family, but luckily or unluckily, some of it didn't turn out so well. Monday was our first day to pick corn- well, except for the day Brad picked 4 ears and we grilled it. :)

This is what we picked Monday...

Brad happily shucking corn... ha!

Amos wanting to help...

This was about half way through...

Amos says "bye!"-- not really, he just wanted his picture taken!

Love it!

**Updated**

I checked the mailbox the other day and had the best thing...

My first Fall catalog of 2009! I love Fall/Autumn... love it. The colors, the leaves, the clothes, and especially the weather. I know it's July, but I'm already looking forward to September-November!

Brad called yesterday to let me know he would be picking Amos up from doggie daycare (aka Brad's parents' house). He also informed me that he would be in charge of cooking. He was grilling chicken, cabbage and peppers. We invited Jenessa and Kenny and they brought bread, beans and the Apple Blueberry Crunch- minus the blueberries. Still yum. Oh, she also brought squash she had cooked. So good. I'll be making that very soon. I'm not a cabbage person, but a friend has a different way of grilling it so Brad tried it and everyone liked it. If you're interested, let me know and I'll come up with directions for that and the squash! You can tell it's summer/garden time. Back to my story... Brad was great. He completely handled the food while I did some other things around the house. I love having a husband that cooks! He even cleaned up after himself-- that never happens.

Oh, my current obsession? CL Wild Strawberry. Yum.

Where Does The Time Go?

Ok, so let me just say that most of our plans for this past weekend didn't quite work out. Yes, we did go to the Slugfest; yes, we did go eat with our Sunday School class; yes, we did bowl (ouch!), but Brad didn't get to make his trip to AR Sunday morning. We have had plenty of rain (and humidity) this weekend. The rain we needed. The humidity? Not so much. At one point, Brad said "you're hair went poof!" {and put his hands up in the air and made a big bubble around his head}- my hubby, the sweetheart.

Saturday night on the way home from embarrassing myself in front of 13 people bowling, Brad and I couldn't figure out how the day went by so quickly. We had the same discussion Sunday.

I think we should have a pretty boring week this week (woohoo), but you never know! Enjoy your week!

Friday Five

Friday Five for this week has me thinking what I want to share. Food is on my brain at the moment- imagine that? I'm always thinking about food. And since we are on the subject (excuse me for using "and" to start a sentence) the annual Slugburger Festival is this weekend. (This was the only info I could find!) Can't wait! We always go on Saturday night with Kenny & Jenessa. It's a tradition we have had since Brad and I started dating. This year we've moved it to tonight (Friday). Brad and I have plans tomorrow- more on that later. Normally we all get slugburgers and sit on the courthouse steps to eat and watch people. The slug fest brings out a variety of people-- some good, others bad. After that Brad and Jenessa ride a few of the rides and Kenny and I walk around. Yes, you read that right- Brad and Jenessa and me and Kenny. See, Kenny and I aren't "ride riding people" but Brad and Jenessa love too-- it all works out well if you ask me.



On to why we had to reschedule-- tomorrow night Brad and I will be meeting our Sunday school class at a family restaurant. We have been trying to get together since Christmas- yes, I know it's July. Afterwards, we plan on going bowling. I'm still processing this. I am terrible at bowling and I'd rather not make a fool out of myself in front of everyone, but I think it might be fun. Although, one girl won't be able to bowl-- she's expecting twin girls in six weeks!! I might keep her company on the bench :)

Sunday should be interesting. Brad and a fellow pilot, Charles, are flying out of Tupelo some time around 8am going to McCrory, AR then flying from there to Tunica, MS, then back to Tupelo. Both guys have their private pilot and they are building their hours for their commercial. Brad has about 70 hours right now and needs 250 to get his commercial. After they get back, Brad then has an appointment with his instructor, Thomas. Brad will be working his instrument rating that afternoon. He basically has to be able to take off and land the plane without seeing outside- only using his instruments. He has these "cool" shades he gets to wear, except his are black.

I plan on doing the regular wife thing this weekend- shopping, grocery shopping, cleaning, laundry, etc...

I almost forgot!!

Friday Five- Five Things That Have Happened This Week

1. Tuesday night was our monthly Bunco session. We met at Ashley's house this time... I love her house and she has the cutest little girl, Hallie. I also won "Most Buncos"! Go me!

2. I had to take Amos to the vet's office Wednesday. He has a serious ear infection in his left ear. He has been making weird noises this week- noises I've never heard him make. Noises I would imagine sounds similar to what dinosaurs used to sound like.

3. I bought a CD this week. Quite possibly the first one I've bought in over a year. It's Beyonce- her Sasha Fierce CD. I bought it with the gift card I got for winning at Bunco the other night.

4. I just had my first vanilla Coke from Sonic -- Not quite sure what to think. Either they somehow messed it up or I don't like it. It doesn't taste like vanilla or coke.

5. Hopefully, Brad and I will finish our guest bedroom this weekend. We need to trim out the window, hang the rods, valances, pictures and finish the bedside table. I am so excited about this.
If you've made it this far, I applaud you. I hope you have a great weekend!!

I hope you have a great weekend!!

It's already Tuesday. I meant to post something yesterday, but I got side-tracked. Hope you had a great 4th. Brad and I stayed super busy (what's new?). Friday we went back to Beef O'Brady's. Are you seeing a pattern here? The last time we were there, Brad tried the extra hot wings which weren't hot enough for him so this time he wanted to try the nuclear wings. I think he liked those better.

Saturday was fun! We got up early and helped my parents. My dad bought a couple of lots in the city limits a few years ago and he's decided that it's time to clear some trees and get it looking better. Hopefully, he won't have any problem selling the land in a year or two. Brad and dad played with their chainsaws and cut limbs and things while mom and I carried them to the road to be picked up. Finally, we set some of the smaller ones on fire. I love burning things, but my mom really loves burning things. After that we had a family thing at Brad's parents. Brad's aunt, uncles and cousins got to meet Amos!

Sunday I worked like a crazy woman around the house after church and getting groceries. I finished painting the laundry room (worked on it Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I did 7 loads of laundry- embarassing to admit; we steam cleaned the carpet, I cleaned the house and cooked a nice meal. I finally sat down around 8:30, but it was worth it. My house hasn't been that clean in a long time. I love having a super clean house- too bad it doesn't happen that often. Ha!

On a completley different note-- I'm considering going "public" with this blog. As of now, I've only told one person. Hmm... we'll see. My life really isn't that entertaining at the moment. Although, there is a chance it will get pretty interesting this fall. I'll leave it at that for now...

Oh! Went by Kirkland's today- they're having a sale and have some really cute things. I wish I could be a little more decisive. I've lived in our house for 16 months and I still need to finish decorating! I just can't make up my mind.

Friday Five

Happy early Independence Day!!

I thought I would change things up a bit. My very generous boss is letting us close the bank at 3pm today!!

Friday Five: Below are my 5 favorite places to eat
1. Outback Steakhouse- their blooming onion, Aussie cheese fries, salads, steaks, etc... yum!
2. Papa Johns- I always get the pepperoni with extra pepperocini and garlic sauce.
3. Pizza Grocery- it's a local place similar to Old Venice. I usually order something different every time I go- although their JB Special pizza is my favorite.
4. Taylor's Escape- another local place. They serve steaks, chicken, bbq, ribs, etc... I always get their grilled chicken with a sweet potato and a salad. They have good steaks too!
Last but not least...
5. Baskin Robbins- ok, so I can't really "eat" there, but I have a serious love for ice cream. I swap between their chocolate chip cookie dough and their pralines-n-cream.

That's it for today... Can you tell I'm hungry?? Since I get to leave work at 3pm today I didn't feel the need to eat lunch while I was out; I'm regretting that now!

Have a fabulous Fourth of July!!