Happy Halloween

Here's an interesting post to read about Halloween in this part of the world. It has become one of the only times of the year that I meet more people in my neighborhood than the ones right next to me. This year, we're actually going to a party (for the first time since my sisters and I threw one about ten years ago), so we won't be home, but I normally so enjoy handing out candy and chatting with my neighbors.

Hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween, no matter how you choose to celebrate it!

Trying Something New

I grew up in a family that used fine china. We didn't use it for every meal, but it didn't take much for an occasion to be considered special enought to break out my Mom's beautiful wedding china. So, naturally, when I got married it was very important to me to choose a beautiful china pattern, and I actually wanted people to by me my china for gifts. I was not one of those brides who said, "No, I'd rather have something practical like a mop." I can buy a mop with my own money. I probably wouldn't ever spend money on nice dishes if I didn't get them as a gift.

I was adamant about the fact that we would use our china. Well, we haven't. I even have plenty of it, so I've decided that David and I are going to try something new. At least once a week we're going to eat in our nice, beautiful dining room off our lovely wedding china. I already set the table for us in the kitchen for supper nearly every night. This will just be a different location and different dishes. I won't be able to stick these dishes in the dishwasher, but it's only two of us...it should be no problem to handwash the few pieces we'll get dirty.

Bested by a Two-Year-Old

Who would have thought a jigsaw puzzle would spawn more than one post?

On most Monday nights David and I babysit AbiLyn and Lex while Liz and Eric play volleyball. Well, this week David was diligently trying to finish the puzzle while I was in the den with the babies watching a movie. Well, Lex meandered into the dining room to check on "Da-bid". He picked up a puzzle piece but then dropped it. We halfheartedly looked for it but couldn't find it. David just kept on working on the puzzle.

When Eric and Liz got there, Eric jumped in to help David with the puzzle. They got it finished except for one piece. The missing piece Lex had dropped. Liz checked his diaper...not there. She handed him another piece to see what he would do with it. He handed it to me. Before it was all over four adults were on our hands and knees looking all over my dining room floor for a puzzle piece. I got a flashlight, and we found it behind the china cabinet. I think maybe it got kicked back there or something.

It was just so funny how everything came to a grinding halt while we looked for that stupid puzzle piece. All because a little two-year-old innocently picked up something and dropped it...but he's such a darling little two-year-old.

Work in Progress

Last winter, while David was on strike, we began working jigsaw puzzles for fun. Well, when everything went back to normal, we slacked off. We've had this puzzle on our dining room table for about six months. You can see we're down to the starry sky. It's been that way for about three months. I've gotten disciplined about it this weekend. I'm working row by row from the bottom up. I have the pieces sorted out into groups by shape, and I'm trying every possible piece in each spot until I'm done. I've gotten about three rows done this weekend. By the end of this week I should be done, and I can't wait. It's my favorite puzzle we've done.

Even in My Dreams

I'm so focused on the fact that I can't have any Diet Coke that last night, in a dream, I went to McDonald's and got Diet Coke without even thinking...and felt horrible about it...in a dream.

My, My, How Things Have Changed

Do you remember when you were a little kid and you had something on the weekend you were looking forward to? For me, it was always a slumber party. For the boys, well, I don't know what little boys get excited about...digging in the mud looking for worms? Anyway, that week was the longest week in creation. Every day seemed to drag by, and Friday, well, it was the worst day of all. By lunchtime you were wound so tightly that sitting still was an absolutely impossibility.

As we aged to the tween years, it was a youth rally or party or sleepover. In junior high, my best friend Chassidy and I would pass notes to each other in the hall between classes. In almost every single one there was a comment about that weekend's youth event and how we couldn't wait.

In high school I would get myself so worked up over travelling to basketball/soccer tournaments or cheerleading camp that I would literally be sick to my stomach the morning of leaving.

Today, I'm beside myself with excitement. Seriously, I'm looking at my clock every two minutes, twirling my hair, crossing and uncrossing my legs, etc. Want to know why?

Tonight, I'm going straight home, as is David. We're putting on jammies and having chili for supper. We'll probably watch an episode of Studio 60 on DVD (birthday present from Carla), go to bed and read a chapter in Eclipse, and be asleep by 9.

Wow.

Yikes, It's Thursday!

I missed some days. I knew I was missing some days. I'm just out of anything to post about. Maybe tomorrow, or later today.

It wouldn't be October without a hand full of pumpkin goop

David and I carved pumpkins last night, totally on a whim. Here are some images from that attempt.

Yes, I watch football games for the commercials.

Check out these gems. They're a couple of my favorites.

Pumpkin Patch

I know it's strange for someone with no children in tow to visit a pumpkin patch, but that's just what I did today. It was so cute. They even had actual sheep. I went to the Blankenship Pumpkin Farm on Halls Hill Pike. Turn off of Rutherford Blvd., drive about five miles, and it's on the right.

I got three pumpkins for my front porch!

Local Love

I think it's wonderful when I find a local business that is truly great. I have two to tell you about today.

First is B. McNeel's. My parents took me and David there for my birthday last night. The food was truly delicious and enjoyed in a warm, inviting atmosphere. They didn't make us feel rushed. We had plenty of time in between courses to visit, and boy did we visit. We were there for over 2 hours. We had an appetizer trio of stuffed fried mushrooms, gulf shrimp wrapped in bacon with a barbecue glaze, and bruschetta with fresh mozzarella on toasted bread. I only had the bruschetta but everything else got rave reviews. We all had crab and corn bisque which was heavenly. I chose beef medallions with New Orleans potato casserole and sauteed veggies for my main course, and David and I split a piece of cheesecake for dessert. It was all mouthwatering. They have a lovely courtyard out back which I can't wait to try out in the spring. So, try this restaurant next time you have a special occasion. Save the gas by staying in M'boro and at the same time support a great local restaurant.

Second is Around the Way Dog on E. Main St. next to Slick Pig. I went here for lunch today, and it is so cool. It's owned by a really great guy who used to play football at MTSU. I've been able to make the acquaintance of him and his wife, and they are wonderful people...and the hot dogs...OMG! They serve Nathan's hot dogs, italian sausage, bratwurst, etc. with every topping you would ever think about putting on a hot dog and some you wouldn't (bleu cheese, guacamole). They also have hand cut french fries and Christie Cookies. When you get there you fill out your order on a sheet of paper, checking off the toppings and what kind of dog you want. When your order is ready, be listening...because they shout your name out to let you know...loudly. It's very MTSU-centric with plenty of Blue Raider memorabilia on the walls, and they have a little kid-size picnic table with an umbrella for the little ones.

Happy dining!

Self-Control

I've decided to give up something I truly love. Yesterday I drank my last Diet Coke. I even wrote the date on the empty can and set it on my shelf at my desk. I don't need the caffeine or the aspartame, so I'm giving it up (along with all caffeinated soft drinks).

We'll see.

Oh, No! I missed a day!

I just realized I didn't blog yesterday. I'll blog twice today. Yesterday was horrible! To quote Clueless: "I felt impotent and out of control which I really hate."

I helped that feeling by folding a mountain of laundry and cleaning all the trash out of my car.

Now, if I could just learn all I still need to learn at my new job I'll be set.

David Anecdote

So David has a little thing he does when he's frustrated about something. He takes his hat off, scrunches up his face, and scratches his temples. It's so funny and cute.

He did it a lot during the Predators game last night. They lost 6-1, and I realized what I need when I go to the games...a blanket! It was chilly. I always know it's going to be chilly, but I never remember an extra jacket or anything. A blanket would have been perfect.

Unexpected Fascination

David and I are going to a Predators game tonight. His company has a suite at the Sommet Center, and he ended up with tickets to tonight's game. Yay!

I have been very surprised at how much I enjoy hockey games. They're so much fun! I shock myself at how excited I get when a brawl breaks out. It's so funny; everyone around me is clapping and yelling and cheering, and I can't help but join in. I also love sitting in the suite for one big reason...you have your own bathroom, and it's always spic-and-span.

Hope the Predators win!

Murderer

My name is Michele, and I'm a cat-murderer.

I ran over a cat today. No, it wasn't even a cat...kitten would actually be a better term to use. He was a pretty little black and white thing that came streaking across a yard and into the street so fast that I didn't have time to stop.

My question is this: what is the protocol in this situation? Because of his markings I could clearly see he didn't have on a collar, and we do have a lot of strays around. He was obviously completely dead. Should I have stopped? I honestly couldn't bear to. It will probably even be at least a week before I drive down that street.

I feel terrible, and I wish I could forget about it.

Book-ness

Well, the Southern Festival of Books was wonderful! There were lots of books and authors and book-lovers; it was fabulous!

I will say this: You know you're at the Southern Festival of Books when, in the break between lectures, they share the current SEC football scores. The news that Tennessee had beaten Georgia even elicited a Rebel Yell.

Hilarious and unexpected, considering the literary setting.

Sad

Today, a cold front moved through, and it was like I could literally see summer floating away. One side of the sky was black, and one side was sunny. The air was warm and muggy and then cool all of a sudden.

Sadness.

See you next year, warm weather. I'll just have to prepare myself for 4 months of cold feet.

Good Samaritans in Pajamas

Let me just talk for a minute about my "baby" sister...Carla. She may be the absolute sweetest person I know. I attribute a lot of her sweetness to the fact that she is the loved and adored baby of our family. I, and I'm pretty sure my other sister Liz, have always felt the need to look out for her, take care of her, and pretty much make her life easy in whatever way we can. She is one of those people that you can't help but want good things for.

I still am more than willing to come to her aid whenever she needs it (which can be often). So, last night, she calls saying she needs to put some air in her tire, but she doesn't know how. Could I please meet her at the Shell station by the church (which is about 1 mile from my house)? David and I (in our pj's, mind you) load up and drive down there, so he can put air in her tire (BTW, I am so glad we did because there was some creepy guy that pulled up beside her just before we did that was hovering around like he was going to try to "help." He put money in the pay phone but never talked to anyone...weird.) So we got her all set and were getting back in our car when a lady pulled up and asked for directions. It was strange. Here we were in our pajamas, and we managed to help two people. Strange but sort of nice.

Habits

Yesterday I was going on about 4 hours of sleep, so I chose to wear my glasses all day rather than put my contacts in. Well, last night when David and I were getting ready for bed I, without thinking, dumped the contents of my contact case into the sink just like I do every night, so I can clean it and refill it with fresh contact solution. I was talking to David and not really paying attention to what I was doing, so when I looked down in my sink I said "Why are there contacts in my sink? Did you throw out a pair?"

In that moment I looked in the mirror and saw that I still had my glasses on and remembered that I never took my contacts out of the case yesterday. Those were my contacts that I just dumped in the sink.

It's so funny the things we do on autopilot.

Visit Nashville like a Tourist

FABULOUS guide to Nashville here.

Also the Southern Festival of Books is this weekend in Nashville. I've actually never been to this before, and I'm super-excited about going. I think I may even head up there early and stop by some places mentioned in this guide!

Enough

You know those things that men get to hang from their trailer hitch that resemble a piece of the male anatomy?

I've had enough of seeing those.

We get it. You think you're tough. I happen to think you're compensating for something, but whatever. Just quit exposing us all to it. It's gross.

Special Birthday

Happy birthday today to my sweet niece, AbiLyn! Five years ago she changed our family irrevocably. My sister Liz was the first (and so far only) of the three of us to have a baby, and AbiLyn was that first baby. I remember the day she was born so vividly, and from the moment we all saw her that day, we were completely taken in. I love her and Lex so, so, so much. Here are a couple of pictures from that day and a picture from this summer, so you can see the "then" and "now."

Perfect Day for Open Windows

It's gorgeous here in Murfreesboro today. I've had my windows open all day, and I can hear all the goings-on of the neighborhood and smell the hamburgers and steaks that my neighbors are grilling for supper. Wonderfully pleasant!

"Once I Had a Girl on Rocky Top..."

Why do days like this make me want to listen to Rocky Top?

It's not like I'm a huge UT fan, but I associate beautiful fall days with football, and today is certainly a beautiful fall day.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Great American Car Trip

David and I have been watching a fabulous documentary on PBS the past couple of nights about the National Parks. I know, we sound like such old people, but it has really been beautiful, interesting, and moving.

Subsequently, it has made us decide to take a road trip to the Grand Canyon next summer...we think. If you google map a trip to Grand Canyon National Park from Middle Tennessee you'll see that the estimated traveling time directly across I-40 is 1 day...that's right...24 hours. I'm not sure about taking such a long car trip, but we could stop on the way there. We would also have audiobooks, movies on our ipods, etc. to keep us entertained.

Now, David has never seen the Grand Canyon, but I have. When I was in elementary school our family set out on the journey that I think every family should take just once...the Great American Car Trip (well, in our case it was a minivan trip, but you get the idea). The extent of entertainment on that trip was books, coloring books and crayons, a travel game of Trouble, and the state license plate game (We saw all 50 by the time we got to the Grand Canyon. The last one we found was West Virginia at the Grand Canyon. To this day I still get excited when I see a WV license plate.)

Our end destination was Las Vegas because my Dad had a business trip there, but we took about a week to get there and almost a week to get home. We learned everything you'd ever want to know about Native Americans. We saw a meteor crater. My parents almost got a citation from a National Park Ranger who did not seem to understand that thousand-year-old ruins are just BEGGING for scrawny, country, been-cooped-up-in-the-car little girls to scramble all over them. We saw the OK Corral in Tombstone and a western movie set in Tucson. We even visited one of the oldest restaurants in North America where we ate sopapillas so light and flaky that I've never forgotten them. We also learned that my Dad knew a song about almost every town we came to because we got to hear him sing it the last hour or so before we got there.

Anyway, our last stop before Vegas was the Grand Canyon. If you've never seen it I can't begin to describe it...you just have to see it in person, and when you do...you will be speechless too.