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Sunday, June 30, 2013

You...yes YOU, you're a FAKE.

Yup, I said it...a F-A-K-E, fake, fake faker.  You are phony...full of it...and well, I'm sick of it.  I'm sick of the apparent deceitfulness.  THAT disgusts me.  I thought (and still think) you're better than that. Make no mistake about that; I DO think you/ you're good people; I just think you are not being truthful with me at all.  That little phone call the other day and lack thereof on all the other accounts just solidified it all.  At this point I figure I've got nothing to lose and nothing to hide.  I'm over it all and I'm over you right now.  Most of you, actually.  How can some of you look at yourself and feel happy about what you see, knowing what happened and how I was not even considered?  I thought we were friends?  Furthermore, how can you LIVE with yourself knowing how things played out?  Seemingly, you've lied, you've cheated, and you've manipulated people to get what you want.  You're playing the politics game here people and folks, you're playing it well.  Quite well in fact.  Well done.  Deceitful little pigs is about the nicest compliment I have for some of you right now.  And I mean that from the bottom of my heart.  You're welcome.  And you?  Most to all of you?  Always with the, "I got your back, Abby"; "You have nothing to worry about"; "I'm with you"... bump that notion.  Matter of fact, bump you altogether. Shove it all right up that lying, full of doody booty you got going there (if there's still room with all of it you're full of).  Admittedly stupid of me, I trusted you.  I confided in you.  I put ALL of you on a pedestal above all the rest.  I thought so very, very much of you...all of you. I had your back...always did.  Now?  Game over.

Don't you see?  Don't you get it?  I know things. A lot of things. I have secrets I've kept because I respected you.  I have a secret that I never divulged TO ANYONE because I loved you all so much and well, because it was uncomfortable, awkward, and embarrassing on all accounts.  Beyond that, you've talked to me about what "supposedly" recently happened (as in a few days ago)... but you've also talked to others and guess what?!?  They've told me what you've told them!  I'm not stupid.  In the past, many/ all of you were there for me in a time when I needed people the most which is what earned you my utmost respect... but that changed in an instant.  It's done.  Thanks for that, but no thanks.  I'd rather of had none of it if this is where it leads us now. And over what?  Something I had no fault in whatsoever...(and yes, you absolutely know what I'm alluding to).

Never the one to keep my mouth shut when I'm being or have been screwed, I'm certainly not shutting up now.  You need to know that not only did you HURT me...you PISSED me off and I HAVE to do this to move forward.  Well, truthfully, you crushed my spirit...you crushed my soul.  Furthermore, you've crushed my passion, you've crushed my ability to trust and have faith, and you've crushed me altogether.  I contemplated doing deplorable things to myself because of your deceit...which angers me.  No one should make ANYONE feel that way. Happy now in knowing that?  You must know though, that you don't get the luxury or satisfaction of moving on with your life without me speaking my peace...especially in light of that most recent revelation. Much like grief, I'm going through stages.  First was indescribable sadness, now it's ANGER. This may be what you wanted out of me: a rise...well here it is and then some, so wipe that shadoobie eatin' grin off your face and get over yourself.  You're no better than the person you consistently ranted about hating throughout the past year.  Matter of fact, you may be even worse.  At least it wasn't always hidden with he/she.  And if you think you are?  Please enlighten me how.

What you must know as I pause to reflect: I'm cognizant that I'm no perfect individual, never claimed to be in any sense of the term.  I have lied.  I have cheated.  I have done more things that I can count that I am not proud of.  I've made plenty of mistakes, but the thing is, I've learned from them.   Not all, but many.  See that's the thing about mistakes, you learn from them and you don't make them again or else they're a choice from then on.  For God-sake, please DO learn from mistakes...you owe it to society.  I beg of you!  Oh, you don't make them?  Well I'll be damned, I had absolutely NO clue that I was in the presence of such divinity.  I apologize for not bowing at your feet each day.  Also know that I'm cognizant of being fake in more ways than one over the course of my life, but many gut-checks with reality have lead me to be truer than true with most of you in my life for a while now.  I've grown up and learned quite a few lessons (especially about what battles to fight) along the way.  I am by no means perfect...my flaws paint the canvas that is my soul, but if I have a problem, I'm most likely to let you know; if I don't like you, I don't pretend to be friends; I don't have time or energy for that.  Never have.  It's that simple.

Why haven't you adopted the same mantra?  Why waste time on people that don't matter to you?  It gives false impressions and hope.  Newsflash: you're in your thirties...oops, my bad, forties, some of you - you should know how to treat people accordingly. I'm happy you have deep relationships with each other, and I'm happy you supported me and welcomed me with open arms initially...but don't suddenly cut someone out because of reasons unbeknownst (well, not unknown to me) to them and repeatedly post pics of you doing so.  It feels like high school (not me in high school, I had a blast then, so don't get me wrong on that ... but you catch my drift) and you're twisting a knife and pouring salt into an open wound.  It sucks and it's incredibly hurtful.  Don't worry, though, I continue to have my fun frequently and have my indulgences on many occasions and jump at the chance of having a great time when the timing is right, but it's certainly no longer the absolute core of my being, like it seems to be yours. Having friends and having fun is absolutely beyond amazing...but so are other aspects of life.  And so are TRUE friendships.  TRUE friends don't lie to each other.  TRUE friends are just that: TRUE...they tell each other the truth no matter what the outcome may be...because if you're truly TRUE friends in the first place?  The truth is always best.  You acted like a TRUE friend who had my back.

Now I see you do not, nor did you ever.  But why the facade? Why lead me on to think I had your support?  If I did, we wouldn't be where we are today.  You would've had me called the other day.  Ya know...last Wednesday/ Thursday when I obviously WAS NOT present?  You would've asked where I was and pushed for me to be there, if YOU really cared.  You KNOW I deserve it.  You KNOW I am exceptional at that.  Yet, you didn't even think of me.  Wow, that cuts and that cuts deep.  It speaks absolute VOLUMES, actually.  You would've had my back like TRUE friends do.  I guess the fact that we really aren't friends is truer than true, at this point.  I guess you could say you are a true friend because you did make sure to have the ones you consider up in there...you just aren't to me.  It's just mind-boggling to me that I wasn't even considered at all.  I mean...WOW.

Which brings me to my point of today.  I have recently been so deceived by YOU...you phony...you faker, that my course of life and mantra altogether is changing and evolving as we speak.  Congratulations, you have finally burned the dwindling flame of my passion altogether.   I'm broken...so broken.  Really, so incredibly, unbelievably crushed and broken.  You/ some/ all of you had the audacity to act as if you were by my side when you were seemingly working against me all along.  Couldn't you/ some/ all of you have just admitted it from the get go instead of getting my hopes up?  Couldn't you have just told me you actually did not have my back and would rather build up someone else...someone far closer to you?  I'd still respect you now, if you had. I really appreciate the truth.  I mean, you looked me. IN. MY. EYES. and lied.  In light of these recent events?  Hell no, I DO NOT respect you.

And here's the bombshell, our friendship ended a while ago, yes?  And it's been a facade of fakeness and phoniness since?  That's when the invites and inclusion stopped, so that's my assumption.  Matter of fact, it came right around the time that one key member of your inner circle did something and said some things that were despicable.  And then claimed it to be a joke?  I saw it as NO joking matter.  Embarrassing, yes, but I was willing to move on (admittedly begrudgingly) since you asked me to and had apologized in the sake of mistakes and the sake of friendships because I adored you and who you'd been to me up until that point.  If a grudge is indeed being held towards me still because of that... why?  I did absolutely nothing wrong, but tried move on to somewhat of a normalcy and comfortable, cohesive environment as you requested...instead, I get tortured with being left out and treated differently.  Amazing how things work out.

Now, if you'd like to enlighten me and know this is intended to one and/ or all of the several of you, hit me up.  Please do. I really do not know who is at the center of it, but someone/ something is churning the wheel.  I'd be more than happy to hash it out or get to the root of it all. I tried giving you the benefit of the doubt that day I finally got one of you on the phone, but true to form, you lied again.  Maybe over the phone, but your fakeness was palpable.  I was NOT buying it.  Don't for a minute think I did. So...call me, let's chat...let's get it all out on the table.  I mean, what do you or I have to lose at this point?  And here's the kicker, I'm not ashamed of what I have to say and can face reality of what you have to say.  I'd just be more than obliged to hear what YOU have to say for YOURSELF.  I have an open canvas of life awaiting me.  The possibilities are endless and for that, I am truly pumped.  I may be scared of that fact, but I am also somewhat excited...I mean, as much as I can be at this point.  If you do have the decency and balls to call, I'm not scared to talk to you, I'm no coward, I'll answer.  And this I promise to you: you won't have to use your husband's phone (or someone else's) to get me to accept your call.  I'll answer.  Game on.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Truths, Life Lessons, and/ or Irony...You be the judge.

Over my years of life, I've certainly come to learn some very valuable lessons.  Albeit, it's only been a tickle under 30 years, but I still see these as ever important in my growing into a responsible and somewhat decent human being.  Some of these lessons have been funny, some inspirational, and some just good to know...and/ or are ironic.  The important thing is, is that these life lessons have made me who I am today and thus I've decided to put pen to paper...errrr fingers to keyboard and list them...what I KNOW today to be truths.  These aren't just the lessons I've learned, but more of a list I've composed of mantras to live by.  Life truths if you will... Laugh, cry, be inspired, hell, write me off as crazy, but please, just Enjoy :)


  1. If you do NOT shave your legs, you WILL: end up at a swimming pool, in a bind and must wear a dress...or back to the college years: a hook-up.
  2. If a full can of Coke is left in your car in the hot summer heat over a weekend, it WILL explode ALL. OVER. YOUR. CAR.  Don't even get me started on this...and do I drink Coke?  Ummmm...NO. 
  3. Drawing obscenities in the frost on people's windshields will undoubtedly uplift your mood during mundane winter mornings.  Try it.  I dare you.
  4. 1 year olds can and WILL find a way to escape or climb onto anything.  Never...and I truly mean, NEVER underestimate them.
  5. Saying you will diet tomorrow NEVER WORKS
  6. When a toddler is left alone with a bag of groceries as you go to your car to get more, he/ she WILL find the only glass container amongst the mass and proceed to break it and play in the mess.
  7. Going to a grocery store hungry WILL lead to questionable food purchases that'll NEVER be sanely eaten
  8. Chewing with your mouth open or making sounds WILL lead to loss of friends and/ or preferential seating in future endeavors.  Yes, I take full advantage of implicating this rule.  Close your mouth, people. Foul.
  9. a yellow light instinctively pushes me and others (as I've noticed and gathered data) to "gas it".  Literally.
  10. There are times to just keep your mouth shut and others to not.  Admittedly, I've learned this the hard way.  
  11. Bad days happen....get over it.  And don't take it personally if someone takes theirs out on you.
  12. It is literally one hundred times more difficult to burn calories than to refrain from consuming them in the first place.  Just say, "No" people!  Easier said than done...yes, I know.
  13. Children are remarkably honest creatures until we teach them not to be.  Then, around 3rd grade-ish (give or take a few years), they become incredibly talented liars.  Like, seriously though.  You've been warned.
  14. Whenever you're worried about what others think of you, you're really just worried about what you'll think of you.
  15. Whenever you hate something, it hates you back: people, situations, and inanimate objects alike.  Case in point: Mayonnaise.  I detest it and welp, it pretty much shows up everywhere.  Foul.
  16. Credit card debt devours souls.
  17. student loans NEVER go away.
  18. The squeaky wheel gets the grease
  19. if you put a load of laundry in "on the go", you'll inevitably forget about it later and it'll linger in the machine for days.  Then, it's a mildew smell and a rinse, rewash, repeat cycle.  I call this endeavor, "LIFE".  
  20. you'll get more cleaning done in the 10-20 min. before someone comes over than you do in an entire day
  21. Pinterest is NOT conducive to feeling successful, productive, or innovative.  Believe me.  I am NOT inspired and I am NOT impressed.
  22. Everyone thinks they're an above average driver.  Case in point: Brad Thomas.  Have you ever ridden in a car with him?!?
  23. The secret ingredient to anything is usually butter...in obscene amounts
  24. A good nine out of ten bad things I've worried about never happened.  A good nine out ten bad things that did happen never occurred to me to worry about.
  25. Sometimes you have to remove certain people from your life, even if they're family.  Example: My sister has yet to meet my child.  If you know the inner-workings of my family, you'd understand.  
  26. There is absolutely NO point in finishing a book you aren't enjoying.  Life is too short for that. Swallow your pride and put it down for good, unfinished.  
  27. Hearing a song you once loved will inexplicably lead to instantaneous jam sessions.  Location...not relevant.
  28. People pick their noses.  Admit it...you do too.
  29. A flush in a restroom usually means a shadoob is happening in the stall next to you, hence the term: courtesy flush.  And if you're not courtesy flushing, could you please jump on board in the name of decency for all mankind?  Thanks.
  30. The person in front of you at a restroom will ALWAYS shadoob, stink, or pee on the seat.  For all intents and purposes, assume the squatting position.
  31. Talking to yourself is allowed...until you start having 2-sided conversations.  You'll start seeming like Tom Hanks on Castaway and when you're not a castaway?  Well, that's just plain creepy.
  32. Walking into doors/ walls hurts.  Avoid at all costs.  If it happens, pretend you meant to, or make joke like, "who put that there?  It must've been built yesterday!"
  33. even if the voices aren't real, they still have good ideas.
  34. You will NEVER and I repeat NEVER, live down the silly mistakes you made as a kid/ young child/ young adult.  Okay, or adult.  Shut up, Bob.  
  35. Impulse purchases are not a great idea...but they sure can be fun.  Correct, Bob?
  36. Microwave minutes are longer than normal minutes
  37. Rhinos are obese, white trash unicorns
  38. Toddlers will NEVER miss an opportunity to dump water!  Or juice.  Or milk.  On the floor, on yourself, on the highchair, in the toy box, on the couches...wherever!  Be creative!
  39. Friends really do come and go.  Some come back.  Some don't.  That's sad, but that's okay.
  40. Nobody cares about you as much as they do themselves
  41. If the music you listen to is on the radio or TV, it's pop music.  Pop = popular.  It doesn't matter if there's screaming or singing, loud guitars or soft piano, it's pop music.  I love pop music.  I love unpopular music as well.
  42. You don't have to be promiscuous because you are male and you don't have to be celibate because you're a female.  Do what you want.
  43. Don't let the school system brainwash you into being average.  They will try.  Every step of the way.
  44. Society wants you to be average as well, but you can be exceptional if you'd like.  Again, it's your choice.
  45. Don't be a pushover.  
  46. Memories are priceless.  Write them down daily - even if they seem trivial.  Hence this blog.  Oh, you're over it?!?  Stop reading then!  Boom.
  47. The fact that gay marriage is not recognized is an abomination.  If you support Freedom, you support gay marriage, so get over yourself.  You are no better than anyone.  Boom.
  48. Religion causes a lot of problems.  Beware when discussing in groups.  I have my beliefs, you have yours...let's leave it at that and agree to disagree without further divulging details.  Good?  Okay then...moving on...
  49. Telling someone they're wrong never leads to anything positive.  Even if they are indeed wrong.
  50. If you wear the same pants everyday, no one will notice.  When I was pregs with Jack, I wore variations of the same yoga pants (cleverly disguised as dress pants) practically everyday.
  51. If someone tells you they want the best for you, what they means is they want you to do what they say and follow the rules.  See: school politics.
  52. You should play on a swing set at least once every year.  It is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.  I LOVE swinging with my students.  It's so exhilarating!   
  53. It really is easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.  Try it next time.
  54. Do what you love, even if you don't get paid for it. I would LOVE to get paid for blogging...I LOVE IT!
  55. Stop texting or checking your phone when you're with other people.  It's rude and it's sad. What is our society coming to?  Can't we have genuine conversations anymore and without technology?!?  Try silencing your phone or ridding of it for a day.  It's liberating.  Seriously.




And FINALLY, some REAL lessons from the Dr. himself...





Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Blurred Lines...

sooo... since I am currently a SAHM (we teachers are during the summer!), I have taken back my former love...the Today show.  Much to my dismay and heartache, we have to break up during the schoolyear (sob...) except for the random SnowDay here or there. Anyway, the other day, they were having a discussion about THE song of this summer (last summer's being, "Call me Maybe" - Carly Really jepshutup) and well, I agree with the majority of the panel when they deemed the song, "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke ft Pharrell as the song of THIS summer...as does Jack Thomas.  You should SEE this kid get absolutely DOWN to it.  LOVES IT.  As do I.  And his Daddy.  

Then, I was reading last week's US Weekly's magazine and came across this little gem...
Further validating the point.  BOOM.  And I have to say, I DO agree with most of US Weekly's list  (scratch Mariah) as they are a frequent on my summer jam playlist replays.  My 1 year old apparently knows his stuff.  Well played, Jackie.  I shall call you mine.

Now, that's most definitely not all that's playing on my playlist. Daddyo has fancied himself a JAMbox to use by the pool (well, two actually - but one's for his personal use for work and such) which is oh so, so cool (see them HERE) and thus I've been hittin' up some Pandora.  I must admit, I haven't been one to use it much because I hate the 3 skip rule and such, but recently, I stumbled upon the 90s HipHop station and it's like a blast from the past of my youth...my days of prime...my fun in the sun...and stellar memories of all encompassing adolescence.  

As I floated upon my island oasis in the pool under the heat of the sultry summer sun, I dreamt a trip down memory lane - jammin' to classics such as Biggie, 2Pac, Snoop, Dre, Too Short, etc... and couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic.  Summer jams or not, these songs are the soundtrack of my teenage years and I was absolutely LOVING IT.  It instantaneously took me back to distant memories of jamming with friends in my basement, taking country cruises on the backroads of 'chester, house parties, field parties, and generally rollin' deep in my car about town thinking we were the absolute shiznit. 
 
Then it hit me...like a slap in the face; it doesn't have to be a summer song to resonate within you; it's simply a song that conjures up fond memories of good times past with friends a plenty or experiences that I'd rather hold onto for years to come; able to look back fondly and think I dominated the years in which I was young, wild, free, and full of zestful life.  It wasn't until Brad played HipHop of the 2000s that it REALLY hit me.  I did not care near as much about those songs as I did the songs of the 90s because they just didn't have the same nostalgia or memories entwined within.  Sure college was an absolute blast - possibly the best time of my life, but these were not complete memory making songs that I grew up listening to with lifelong friends.  These were songs that I merely danced to at a club or a college house party...and to me, they all sounded the same.  Do I sound crazy?  Or maybe it was because they didn't have the same feeling of taping them onto a cassette from the radio and making a mixtape, or paying a fine friend to burn some of the first mix CDs (he made an absolute KILLING with THAT business in high school!)  Those were the days before the end of Napster and LimeWire and Pirated music was all the rage.  Ahhh sweet memories of innocent crimes...or so we thought.  Hell, we had no idea, we just wanted all our jams in one place and that was farrrrr before iPods.  

Thus, I have compiled a list of the songs that conjure up fond memories.  These are all songs deemed HipHop from the 90s...according to Pandora and according to yours truly.  Many are quite vulgar and probably completely wrong for little baby ears over here (seeing as how some go back to elementary school for me), but I love them and feel blissfully nostalgic upon hearing them. And yes, if you're wondering, I most certainly DID listen to a variety of many other things and especially have a fond love of 90s rock as well (Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Nirvana, Silverchair, Live, etc), but these songs have just been what I've been jammin' to lately) Do you have the same feelings about any of these?  What memories (if any) do these songs serve you?
  • Nuthin' but a G Thing -Snoop
  • How do you want it? -2Pac
  • Notorious Thugs - Biggie
  • 1st of the Month - Bone Thugs N' Harmony
  • Who Am I (What's my Name) -Snoop
  • Juicy -Biggie
  • Gin n' Juice - Snoop
  • I Need a Freak -Too Short
  • I Got 5 on it -Luniz
  • Big Poppa -Biggie
  • Hypnotize -Biggie
  • This is How we do it - Montell Jordan
  • I Wish - Skeelo
  • Make 'em Say Ughhhhh -Master P
  • Bourbons n' Lacs -Master P
  • Mr. Ice Cream Man - Master P
  • Doin' It -LL Cool J
  • Dre Day - Dr. Dre
  • Wanna be a Balla -Lil' Troy
  • 'Bout it, 'Bout it - Master P
  • Thuggish Ruggish Bone -Bone Thugs
  • Regulators -NateDogg and Warren G
  • Crossroads -Bone Thugs
  • I Got Candy -TRU
  • Rapper's Delight -Def Squad
  • Ghetto Cowboy -Mo Thugs
  • Ain't No Fun -Snoop
  • Gettin' it -Too Short
  • Player's Club -Rappin 4 Tay
  • California Love -2Pac
  • Smokin' on Hay -Crucial Conflict
  • All Eyez on Me (and the ENTIRE 2 disc accompanying cds which songs such as, "Can't C Me"; "I Ain't Mad at Cha"; "Wonder why they call you..."; "What's your phone #?", etc)
  • The Chronic CD collections
  • The entire Ghetto D cd
  • Keep it All Good -TRU
  • Dear Mama -2Pac
  • Po Pimpin' -Do or Die
  • Loungin' -LL Cool J
  • Ditty - Paperboy
  • The Humpty Dance -Digital Underground
  • Check yo self -Ice Cube
  • Back that Azz Up -Juvenile
  • One Day -UGK
  • Call me when you need somethin' (Plan B) -Kane and Abel
  • Nann -TrickDaddy
  • Shine -Big Tymers/ Cash Money Millionaires
Now, do I sound ghetto or out of place?  I assure you I am not.  We just enjoyed us some fine and fancy hiphop and I literally could go on for days upon days with all the songs we loved back then.  It was fun, it was free, and it was no frills...the motto of the parties of our youth.  I must reiterate that I listened to much more than these songs listed and was not stuck on just hiphop, it's just that these are the songs that have flooded back the memories upon me like a fatty doing a cannonball from the roof onto the pool. It just makes sense :)  It also must be said that there are a few songs I DID NOT list because they are too vulgar to name or too shameful to admit.  Hope you've enjoyed my list and have brought back some memories of times past to you.  What have I left off?  Maybe I'll be back with my collection of rock, R&B, and other Pop songs of the 90s still resonating fond memories of my teenage years :)



Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Nothing tastes as good as being myself feels.

Back in college, we girls on our sorority floor would tattoo our fridges with pics of models or us in our high school days and quote the saying, "Nothing tastes as good as being this Skinny feels".  Well, that's all good and great and an excellent mantra/ deterrent from the fridge in normal time, but tell that to my bagel pizza craving, beer chugging, White Castle Hasselhoffing, late-night pizza dominating, slurring, over-indulged in the spirits self.  Yeah, didn't go over too well and I most definitely gained the freshman 15.  Yikes.  Don't even get me started of what I gained after dating Brad Thomas.  Then marriage?  And a baby?!?  Game over.
It must be said that I am fully cognizant that being fit is no joking matter, but it must also be said that being stick thin as in model status?  Not happening for this chick.  No way, no how.

 These are what I had on my fridge...



First things first, I am all of 5ft nothin', give or take an inch or two...barely tall enough to ride rides at amusement parks.  Okay...a teensy exaggeration there, but you catch my drift.  I'm height challenged.  I have stubby arms, legs, feet, hands and yes, I finally admit it.  I have finally come to terms with my nickname of "Stubbs" lovingly adorned upon me by my oh-so-very gracious friends back in middle school.  It was and remains to be divine.  Happy Rach?  Suz?  Beej?  Worm? Tootle?  The rest of the crew?  You all should be most happy to know that most of my students' hands each year are longer than mine.  They're 8, 9, and 10.  It reeeeeally ups my cool factor.  Needless to say, modeling agencies will not be dialing me up anytime soon.

I digress.
Anywhoooo, what you must also know is that I have a muscular build...always have.  I was a competitive gymnast for 6 years and cheered from 3rd grade all the way through high school and beyond.  We worked out with our football players in high school, had intensive conditioning and training, 3-day a week aerobic sessions, and two-a-day practices...ON TOP of practice where we held/ threw girls in the air, tumbled, and danced for 2-3 straight hours.  It was rough and I had no need to watch what I ate because I was burning something crazy in the caloric department each and every day.  Yet I still did.  I remember hiding my size 2s in the back of my closet when I went to college because I was so ashamed I was no longer a '0'.  Now?  I can't fit my right thigh in the double leg of a '2'.   These boobs aren't helping matters either.

What's the point of this post? Well, it must be said that I have come to terms that I will no longer be that 117lb college freshman Abby with a flat stomach and hard booty.  I know I must get myself back in shape and my goal is the Abby of when B and I started dating and after the freshman 15 and a little some...but not much.

THESE are more of what I'm going for.  Circa 2007 and 2008...when B and I were engaged and about to be or were already married...



In the meantime, I HAVE compiled a list of things that ARE better than being skinny feels (which coincidentally, have been my deterrent for not having lost all the baby weight yet)...


  • Red, Hot and Bleu fries (there was this grill at WKU that made these Arby's like curly fries and topped them with buffalo sauce and bleu cheese crumbles - can I get a hoooo-rah!  Hangover domination...BOOM.
  • McDonald's, Sonic's. or Chick-fil-A's sweet tea
  • NY hotdog from Sonic
  • Winchester Rally's Ale8.  Like wow...nectar of the Gods.  I honestly don't know what they do to it, but it's like heaven in a cup.
  • Rally's fries
  • My Mama Suz's homemade cheesecake
  • Ribs
  • Medium thin crust Domino's Pizza
  • BBQ Baked potatoes at UK games (from Sonny's BBQ)  um, AMAZE. 
  • My own baked spaghetti (it's a heavenly conglomeration of spaghetti, sauce, several cheeses, pepperoni, Italian sausage, and some other secret ingredients)
  • Chili
  • Chili dogs (ESP GoldStar....hollllllllerrrr!)
  • Sonic Chipotle Breakfast Burrito
  • Bacon
  • a bacon-onion concoction I make (saute onions with chopped bacon and butter; mix in vinegar and sugar until caramelized...like WHOA, Holy deliciousness, Batman!  I put it on tacos, sloppy joes, fajitas, you name it....deeeeee-lish---ussssss!!!!!)
  • steak
  • low country broils (shrimp, sausage, potatoes, corn, crawfish...does it get any better?!?)
  • Zesty Foil Potatoes (see my recipe HERE)
  • BBQ Bacon Meatloaf (see my recipe HERE)
  • BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Biscuit Cups (see recipe HERE)
  • Fajitas (see my unique recipe HERE)
  • Buffalo Chicken dip
  • Corn dogs
  • My Bacon Jalapeno Dip (see recipe HERE)
  • Chocolate Chip Dip (see recipe HERE)
  • Cocktail weenies
  • "Joey Bag of Donuts" (burrito from Moe's)
  • Donuts in general
  • Beer (I love it all...seriously, if you took me to a place where I could sample kind after kind from all walks of life from around the world, I would be in heaven - Like, I think I could deem you my soulmate from there on)
  • Whiskey
  • Mojitos
  • nachos 
  • a goooooooood cheeseburger (and you KNOW what I mean...none of this McDonald's half-ass crap)
  • Mama Suz's stuffed banana peppers
  • Suz's chicken n' dumplins (seriously, in high school, all my friends loved my Mom's cooking and on any given night where she was cooking one of their favorites, you most definitely COULD expect to see them at our table as well)

  • and finally (and most importantly)... NUTELLA!



So, yes, I WILL be watching what I eat...but as you can tell from my list from above, I most definitely have some deterrents and will be giving myself a cheat day or two every now and again and again (and again and again) because being comfortable in my skin is what's most important.  Am I happy with my body now?  Hellllll no, but I'm not selling my soul to rid of things I love.  I have meltdowns in store dressing rooms, I cry about my body, I do not feel as sexy to my husband as much any more and I most certainly do not love what I see in the mirror, but I also will not be starving myself.  I LOVE spinach, lima beans, peas, green beans, bananas, apples, granola, lettuce, strawberries, grilled chicken and fish, oranges and such and will be eating them as much as possible, but I will most definitely not break up with the foods I love entirely either. Thus, I will not be quitting them, I will just be having them in moderation and must declare:

NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS BEING MYSELF FEELS.
BOOM.   

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Daddy Braddy's Day...

(...and BigBob and Papaw's too)

Unless you have been living under a rock or on a hiatus from life, you are aware that this past Sunday (June 16th) was Father's Day 2013. What you may not be aware of (but should be...in my humble opinion) is that the Toots man hit the jackpot in this department;  he sure has some amazing male figures in his life to look up to, each with amazing qualities and characteristics of his own. We're all about growth and life's experiences up here in the land of terrific Thomases, so I must conjure up a little flashback of a first father's day for the two youngest Thomas males (B and our child...duh) for your viewing pleasure...

Jack with his Daddy Braddy and Papaw





Jack sure looks different!  The other 2?  Well, they haven't changed much.

NOW, let's flash forward back here to the present.  As you may have read in my most recent post prior to this, Father's Day weekend is always the time when we get together for Redneck weekend.  It also happens to be Dan's (Papaw's birthday), so to celebrate with Papaw, we do so in conjunction with Redneck weekend and his birthday.  As I mentioned that post, we got him Whiskey Stones for Father's Day that came in a wooden box engraved, "Only the COOLEST dads get promoted to Papaws", along with his initials.  Whiskey Stones are non-porous cube-cut stones that when placed in the freezer, can keep drinks cool for hours without absorbing any liquid or diluting drinks with water.  They're REALLLLLY cool...hence the crafty saying I had put on there :)

Since we spent Friday and Saturday with the Thomas side of the family, we headed over to my parents' house on Sunday for lunch and celebrating Jack's Poppy a.k.a. "BigBob" (my Dad) and B as well.  We had yummy ribs, corn on the cob, Mom's homemade baked beans (A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. to say the least!), pasta salad, and apple pie and swam as we love to do!  Family pool days just happen to be a Banker tradition and favorite activity and we do it as much as possible.  Sundays are pretty much non-negotiable in that arena and Beth and Kody have even joined in on those each week!  Anyway, I digress.  Since I knew that we'd be focused on Redneck weekend and Dan's birthday on Friday and Saturday and my Dad on Sunday, Jack and I gave Daddy Braddy his stuff on Thursday night so we could have a private celebration, focused solely on him.  We got him 2 pairs of seersucker shorts, a brand new pair of Ralph Lauren swim trunks, a tie with the official UK plaid on it, a chrome UK license plate frame (B's been talking about getting one since he got his new truck), a UK grilling spatula, and a Canvas of Jack in his Colts football getup from his 6 month pics to go with the sports theme B has going in his new office.

B's loot - Father's Day 2013

this is the pic we had put on a canvas for Daddy to hang in his office.  He has autographed and framed UK pics, posters, and memorabilia as well as Colts and Cubs stuff hanging in there too.

B says he had a GREAT day and was happy to have an early celebration with just us 3 on Thursday.  Like I said, on Sunday, we had a nice time at the pool and eating lunch, but we also had a blast shooting B's new BB gun...yes, my husband is 12.  He now has a BB gun, of which he brought for some target practice on Sunday.  I have to admit, it looks exactly like a real gun and it is incredibly fun shooting it...we practiced on Thursday when he bought it.  Brad would hate for me to publicly admit this, but I don't doubt that he'd confirm that I'm also one HELL of a shot.  Him?  Not so much.  Seriously.  I literally kick his bootay in this department.  And yes, toot-toooooooot goes my horn!  Dad and Cathryn even got in on the action and Cathryn is also much better than Brad.  We all took turns shooting at one of Mom's metal flamingos she has in her garden near the pool.  I hit it 3 out of 3 attempts, Cathryn 2 out of 3, and Bob 1 out of 3.  Brad?  1 out of 6.  HA!







Oh you may be wondering what did we get Bob/ Poppy?  My dad is getting a bit [ahem] "up there" in the years, but he won't admit it and most definitely does not dress like the average bear of his age.  While his number may sound old to him, I assure you he is not by any definition or sense of the term.  While we may tease him about his age, we know you are only as old as you feel and he certainly does not act it, look it, or dress it and I like to keep it that way.  I got him a funky fedora from my favorite vintage store...he looks so hip and retro in it, and these funky, green, alligator skin looking Sperrys.  They. are. AWESOME. And right up his alley!  I love giving gifts and I especially love giving gifts that represent the style and personality of the person of which you're gifting.  We also love playing games together as a family so we gave him a new set of "Phase 10" cards and the game "Fibber".  If you haven't heard of it, look it up...SO FUN!
    
That night, our little fam of 3 ventured home and continued celebrating OUR patriarch.  He picked to grill out fish that evening and we did just that while playing with the Toots man.  It was a perfect day and a perfect weekend.  Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there and an extra special wish to the men in my life, especially, my lovey man, Mr. Braddy Beawr :)

Now, here's a salute to the father's in my life.  You men are sensational role models for my son and I'm so thankful for your role in my life, but most importantly his.  He certainly has AMAZING examples set before him and for that, I am most grateful.


My Daddy and Me



 
Big meeting Lil

Thanksgiving 2012

right before the c-section to get Mr. Jack Robert Thomas into this world!

Thomas family of 3 on Thanksgiving 2012










Jack meeting his bestie, Holden



The Thomas 3





 

Daddy in a RACECAR!

Jackman and Papaw






Shawnee's 7th Birthday - November 4, 2012
 











Jack with Mamaw and Papaw at his 1st Birthday Party










 TWINSIES:








Daddy Bob and ME - Christmas 1984

Dancing with my daddy - Cheerleading Nationals in Dallas, TX - December1999



Daddy Bob and ME when I was a mere 2 days old!

BigBob and LilBob