Snapshots of My Life....

I haven't had much to blog about lately because I've posted so frequently on FB (which I'm totally addicted to). It's not that life hasn't been rolling along, but I've just been busy enjoying it (or dealing with it depending on the day)!  Take a peek into my world...


Cupcake Party at Inspire in Thibodeaux



Me & Barb after work in Lafayette



Cool metal lunchboxes outside the bathroom at "The Hangout" in Gulfshores



Zydeco dance lessons with ol' Cajun friend in Lafayette



Morning beverage options at Queen Anne B&B in Natchitoches



Yeah, my frustrating discovery when I came out of Walmart



The "pot" at the LRC game on the Eastside Saturday night... lots of fun!



Pic of tomatoes & price so I could set the register-girl straight this week ;-)



LSU Baseball games added hilarious entertainment in the form of these huge blow-up characters!



I Think I'll Subscribe...

I got an email from my Jazzercise District Manager, Emma, this morning.  She was sharing an article that appeared in "Shape" magazine.  I've seen "Shape" on newsstands before, but I've never really looked into it too much.  After seeing the article where they mentioned Jazzercise, I think I'll subscribe... it's good stuff.  You know I'm addicted to dancing of any kind, but especially my workouts at Jazzercise.  It's always nice to see that something I love is tried and true (been around for 40 years) & is actually GOOD for me!  Check out the picture they included with the article (see left)... yeah, she's hot!  We work up as much (or more) sweat as she's got, but know that we don't dress quite as provocative in class.  I'm LOVING those leg warmers, though!!!

Valentine's Traditions

Giving a little love to Chewee while sporting her new PJs.

I just have to start by saying having Valentine's Day on Monday is just not so much fun!  Kids have school, I have work... just tends to put a damper on festivities.  No fretting though... we celebrated early!  Last night I pulled out the traditional Valentines for my sweetest of sweethearts... heart-shaped boxes of various chocolates.  Erin informed me a couple of years ago to stay away from the Whitman Samplers although those are WD's absolute favorite "Valentines".  So I did, and opted for red foiled covered boxes of Russell Stover's for her & Dylan... only to be informed that when they opened them that there was no "key" to the chocolate layout...wellllll of course not... that's only in the Whitman Sampler...there is a little paper that specifically shows which chocolate is what...you know... caramel filled, coconut cream, toffee, chocolate filled chocolate, etc. Maybe next year Whitman's will be what they get! (BTW - my favorite are the milk chocolates with strawberry or vanilla cream).  So they just had to nibble each piece to discover the "yummy" inside!  Along with chocolates, I always get them each a new set of PJs.  This year was no different!  The only variation from tradition were the heart-shaped "peeps"... you know those sugary-crusted marshmallows shaped like birds at Easter... well they had them in pink heart-shapes.  I gave each of them a packet of peeps, a few Hershey chocolate bars, and a box of graham crackers...they enjoyed the mess of zapping them in the microwave for a tasty Valentine's s'more.  (Got the idea from their Aunt Brooklyn one Easter!)  Of course no Valentine's day would be complete without the perfect card.  I think they were more excited about the iTunes gift cards I slid into them than the message of the Valentine themselves.  Oh well... seeing them enjoy the Valentines and each other's company made my Valentine day complete!

Sweet sticky goodness!

Cramming it in... yeah he ended up with pink smudges on his new PJs!

Weekend with Hubby...

After working out of town most of this past week, I set aside the entire weekend to be with WD.  It's unusual for us to be off 4 days in a row together! We started the weekend off Friday by dropping Dylan off with the scouts for an adventure trip to Pensacola, FL... one kid gone... one teen to go... Erin typically runs with her second set of siblings... the Butlers, but this weekend she stayed with Alexis so that they could go to a surprise party for another girlfried.  So the kids were occupied in someone else's care so on to the fun for me & WD.  Friday night... drinks at Perkins Rowe Wine Loft while waiting for a table at Kona Grill.  Absolutely yummy meal at Kona Grill... I don't typically like sushi, but with more and more places using cucumber on the outside instead of rice, I'm becoming a fan! We also shared an entree of beef medallions with grilled brocollitini (sp?) & Kona's mashed potatoes from heaven. Then it was over to the theater for a movie. I was looking forward to a crazy comedy (with the help of a pre-show martini), but "The Dilemma" was far from a comedy.  At least my date was interesting!

Saturday morning I taught Jazzercise, plus WD & I ran a few miles and biked quite a few miles in preparation for some real "blowing it out" with the neighbors.  We were celebrating quite a few things... Nora's b-day, David's divorce, David's brother & sister-in-law's anniversary, and my pre-birthday! Coyote Blues (of course I got the corn, crab, & poblano soup which is creamy, delicious, sin along with a sangriarita) got the evening started for our group of about 14. Next was a comedy show at the Funny Bone featuring Jen Kober... she was out-of-the-box hysterically funny!  Thanks to Nora for being such a great topic for Jen to pick on :-)  She was a great sport about being a "Skinny B----"! We danced off some of the calories at the comedy club, but it wasn't enough for this group... so we headed to the Station... I'd never been & never even heard of it, but apparently it's been around for years.  It was great with a live band which appealed to the wide variety of partiers that were there.  It was a great time with great friends!

Next weekend WD works, so I'm off to enjoy scrapbooking with girlfriends in Lake Charles.  I just LOVE the weekends!!!

Being Off...

Working 9 hour days at the office is hard sometimes, but I soooooo love the every other Friday I get to be off of work.  It's really neat to be off of work when most others are working because I can get so much done, plus Thursday nights can be so much more fun, too.  Today for example, I slept till 8a.m., and then got up & attended a Jazzercise class (so much fun to be a participant from time-to-time rather than the instructor who has to worry about executing all the moves with precision, cueing, & safety).  After class, I put the top down on the car (yes, it was sunny & warmer, thank God) and stopped in at Sonic for a Diet Dr Pepper while I enjoyed the sunshine.  I sat for the first time all week without being in a rush and played a few plays with Words with Friends and Chess with Friends on my iPhone.  Next up was to get my car cleaned... it's been raining on and off all week, so it really was in bad shape.  It's all spic and span now.  I was able to run home for a relaxing shower & leisurely get dressed.  Lunched on sandwich while catching up on some DVR'd shows.  Now I have all of the rest of today to do with as I wish.  Kids are still in school :-)  Think I'm heading to the mall & to complete a few errands.  Of course I don't work tomorrow so there's no rush in getting home & to bed; plus the Tigers are playing tonight!  It's a great schedule although I only get to enjoy it every other Friday!

Closest Thing to a Journal for Me...

Just like every New Year's there's always talk of self-improvement everywhere you look. Most resolutions I've noted have to do with self-discipline & motivation.  Some "experts" believe that journaling will help you keep track of life, your goals & aspirations, as well as staying disciplined & motivated. I have to admit, that the idea of taking pen-to-paper seems too much like an assignment or chore, so I reflect in other ways.  Isn't that the purpose of journaling?!?  Most of you know my love for technology, so of course this blog is an excellent way to "reflect" and is much more enjoyable in terms of journaling.  After all, I can type twice as quickly as I can hand-write!  I also keep another "journal" of sorts on the web... that's my food/exercise diary (as most of you already know, I've used it for two years now & can't imagine life without it).  Accessing my "journals" through the computer and/or my iPhone makes them very convenient & much easier to stay committed to than a paper diary/journal.  Some experts even believe that journaling reduces stress... well I don't want to bore my readers with the "stressful" things in my life, so I'll stick to my work-outs for stress-relieving benefits!

I love reading the Pioneer Woman's blog... she's one witty lady! In case one of your resolutions is to start blogging/journaling, here are her entertainingly put tips...

1. Be Yourself
2. Blog Often
3. Be Varied
4. Exercise More
5. Allow Your Boundaries to Set Themselves Naturally
6. Bring Back Retro Phrases like "Hanky Panky"
7. Don't Be Afraid to Embarrass Yourself
8. Try Your Best to Spell Words Correctly & Use Proper Grammar
9. If You Have Writer's Block, Push Through & Blog Anyway
10. Value Every Person Who Takes Time Out of Their Day to Stop By Your Blog

To read them all in their entirety with her witty commentary, go to her blog here:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/blog/2010/09/ten-important-things-ive-learned-about-blogging/