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/

It's a Double-Diet-DP Kind of Day...

Y'all know my obsession with Sonic's Diet Dr. Peppers!  I don't drink coffee (wish I did, but I just can't "acquire" that taste), so my caffeine of choice is DDP. Sonic's is the best of course because of the crunchy, perfectly engineered ice, the styro-foam cup (so sorry to my eco-loving friends/fam), and the perfectly sized red straw (which serves to get the refreshing goodness to my lips in just the right amount as well as a chew stick in meetings where I know I could say something, but with better judgement I keep my mouth/teeth busy on the straw).  Today was no different... I stopped by Sonic for my morning fix... the difference was that I didn't go by the Sonic nearest my house (where they know my name), but by another location since I was going to work from a different direction.  I ordered the "Route 44" instead of the "Large" and I requested extra ice since the day before a long holiday weekend is typically a looooong day at the office.  When the car hop delivered my order, there was so much ice that the top was bulging and after only 4 sips, the DDP was gone! I hadn't packed an extra can of DDP in my lunch bag, so what was I to do?!? Well, I made a second stop on my way to work (I'm glad I left for work early)... by Chick-fil-A... another one of my "loves". They sell the best chicken biscuits (which I've blogged about when I was totally addicted to them a couple of years ago) and of course DDP.  So I ordered a large DDP-no ice.  While sitting in the parking garage at work, I carefully emptied some of the Sonic ice from my cup, and poured in the DDP from Chick-fil-A... now I'm ready for my day!

Gingerbread House Recall?!?

Ok... so most of you who are friends of mine on FB know about the Davis Gingerbread Village that Erin & Dylan constructed on Christmas Eve... cute, very cute actually, until Chewee gobbled up one of the houses.  It frustrated me that our dog had the nerve to sneak up onto one of the dining room chairs where he can grab whatever he wishes off the table.  He would never, ever do this with one of us watching him, but if no one is looking... well whatever treat is on the tabletop is history! He's just too sneaky for a dog!  So he nabs the little cottage closest to the table's edge... keep in mind I didn't actually witness this action, but by the looks of the crumbs that were left back behind my wingback chair in the living room, we know he's guilty (that's where he always runs to eat any treat or even his monthly heartworm pill... somewhat of a "closet eater" I suppose).  He didn't even get sick or an upset stomach which I wished upon him.  Crazy dog!!!

Anyway, fast forward about 4 days... I'm sitting at work & I get a news alert from WAFB (if you don't have the GoWAFB app on your phone, you need to get it... it's the best way to get the latest news).  The news flash that popped up on my phone reads, "Gingerbread house recall affects Louisiana".

My first thought... how the hell does a gingerbread house recall make newsworthy news alert status?!? And my second thought... what causes a gingerbread house to be recalled (who actually eats them anyway)?!?  Then of course my third thought (keep in mind these thoughts flashed quickly through my brain)... OMG, Chewee ate the gingerbread cottage!!! The news alert stated that some of the gingerbread houses sold in Louisiana had possible staph poisoning. Good news though, it's only for gingerbread houses sold by Whole Foods... we bought our kit at Wal-mart.  I suppose revenge will not be played out on little Chewee after all... guess I'll just have to more closely watch his sneaky canine-self!!!

Christmas from the Shiftworker's Wife's Perspective

It changes from year to year, so being flexible is a must! With WD's work schedule, some Christmases he wakes with us while others he's working.  Tradition isn't necessary in the Davis house... we make our own depending on what life's schedule throws our way.  Last year & this year WD works/worked days (4am-4pm) on Christmas day.  It's actually pretty great because Santa makes a stop by our house Christmas eve (afternoon-ish) while I make Christmas supper in pj's (matching my girl, Erin, of course).  When Daddy WD walks through the door, we all sit down for yummy Christmas supper... and that's not traditional either... this year we had Cheesy-Shrimp soup with Focaccia bread. After dinner, we slip into the living room around the tree for gifts.  Starting with the stockings, we all dump them out to discover the neat little treats and the creamy chocolates and other candies (and my favorite the gum!). I try to snap pics while we open gifts and share the stories behind the purchases for each other... sometimes the stories are better than the gifts themselves. This year it was an iPhone for Erin, a laptop for Dylan, Kinect & iPad for WD, and a bike & Coach bag for me.  Another Davis Christmas "tradition" are the electronics!  We are technology junkies to say the least... this year was no different :-) Although I'll wake in the morning to an empty bed, I'll get to sleep late & enjoy the kids' company when we do leisurely crawl out of bed.  WD will join us again tomorrow after he gets off of work... hey, somebody has to earn the money to pay for our "Santa" visit!