Thankful

I realize Thanksgiving was six days ago, so this post is late, but I try to avoid technology when I am around family.

I am thankful every day. I have family and friends who I trust, love and respect; I have a job and am able to be entirely independent; I have an apartment with a spare bedroom so that I can have my family and friends come visit; I still get to work at Fossil and be around such special people while fully enjoying the discount; I get to grow and learn about anything and everything even after graduation; I live close enough to work that I can go home for lunch and squeeze in an episode of a favorite show; I get to see my nephews play in almost every basketball game they have; I am healthy enough to be able to train for a half-marathon, even if I don't always enjoy it; I wake up happy.

I am the luckiest girl in the world, and I am so very thankful.

The Basketball Year I have Been Waiting For

Every year I can remember there has always been some point when I have said, "I can't wait until I get to watch Stetson and Braxton play high school basketball together." The time has come.

By watching them play in the Knox Co jamboree at UT, I was able to check another thing off of my 22 to-do list (seen here).
While I love watching them play, I love watching them interact with each other and their teammates just as much. At one point during their first game at South Doyle, Stetson made a mistake right before a timeout. Braxton purposefully made his way to Stetson's side of the huddle and nonchalantly patted him on the back. It was great to see.

My favorite thing about living and working in Knoxville? Getting to see moments like that, seeing Stetson score more points than the other team during the jamboree where he only played approximately 8 minutes, seeing Braxton do the "dougie" in the middle of the team pre-game huddle, etc.


That is a rough video of B dancing in the center from my mom's phone. I'm going to have to film it better at another game.

I will be watching them play basketball pretty much every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday for the next three months. I can't wait.

Breaking Dawn at Dawn

While I can't claim to love the Twilight series like Harry Potter, I still did enjoy the books. I enjoy even more, however, a good theme. Of course I go to all of the midnight premieres. It gives me an excuse to wear something vampire themed and hang out with friends who share either the Twilight or theme-ing passion.

If you can't tell, my shirt says, "One Day My Prince Vampire Will Come." When you see Harry Potter and Twilight-themed shirts in stores and wonder who on earth actually buys them, I do.

I will be honest and tell you that ever since I started working full-time, my bedtime has drastically changed.I took a picture of this man before the previews even started. Although I thought it was so funny, he didn't when my flash interrupted his slumber...

It turns out I wasn't much better. I kept feeling my head start to tip after about forty minutes of the movie. My former late-night, college self would be so disappointed to see the lame, working-woman version I am today. I went to see a matinee this weekend and, hooray, I didn't fall asleep.
Although I was worse than useless at work the next day (I didn't get in until right before 4 am), it was definitely worth it just to get to wear my shirt and hear Edward take his vows imagining they were to me. Keely Cullen has a nice ring to it...

Winning in Memphis

I took a half-day vacation this past Friday to spend Veteran's Day with my dad. We decided to take a family trip to Memphis once I reached Cleveland so that we could go watch my best friend, Cacy, play basketball. We played basketball together since we were 10, and I am so proud that she now starts for a Division 1 team. I knew we were destined to be the best of friends as soon as I realized we both wanted to be the number 22. The girl has got good taste, it really is the best.It turns out we weren't her only supporters. Her family that lives in Memphis came, too. If only they had asked me to join them. I would have gladly been an exclamation point.

The Saturday in between her two games, my family drove to Tunica, MS. Gambling with my parents is one of my favorite things. We always have the best time-win or lose. I even ran into an old friend from high school there. More importantly, however, I hit a straight flush fifteen minutes before we had to leave. Yep, this girl left $1,000 richer.

I'm sure the dealers and gamblers from that day are still slightly deaf from the shrieks and laughter coming from me and my mom. What do I plan to do with my money?



Buy these sheets that are made from vintage love letters. Everyone at work has already called me a grandma for spending my money on sheets. It's fine, I'm okay with that because I'll be a grandma sleeping on awesome sheets :)

Mormon is the Word

I went to visit my best friend Jenny in Layton, Utah last week. We had the best time. You know you're close with someone when you can stay in and just watch Dawson's Creek and talk until four in the morning, repeatedly, and think it was the best vacation. We did manage to get out of her apartment a couple of times--we had to go buy cookie dough. :) Juuuust kidding, we got out for other things, too.
I learned several things while I journeyed out west. First, Mormons really aren't that different from the Bible Belt Christians I've been around. Yeah right. I met this cool guy on the plane (well, cool until he sketchily asked for a ride...) that was a Mormon living in Salt Lake. He explained it all to me. Apparently they can't have caffeine, drink alcohol, use protection, etc., etc., etc. He was under the impression Southern Christians live this way. Puhlease.

Second, Paranormal Activity 3 is a crock. The entire movie I kept expecting to be terrified. When two girls can go home alone and stay up for hours without "hearing" or "seeing" something freaky after seeing a scary movie, it's not a very good. We did take a picture there as proof that we did venture out of our pajamas and her apartment.

People in Utah also go to Halloween parties, shop at Kroger (even though they call it Smith's), eat sushi, and will return a smile.

Utah got awfully lucky when Jenny Barbee became a resident. I'm awfully lucky to have her as a friend.

PS: I finally figured out how to add more than one photo to a post. It's a little link that says, "Add More Photos." Who knew?!