Torn Between Two Loves...

Dear Starbucks (specifically Lite Caramel Frap),

I don't want you to get the wrong idea. You have served me well. You are my go to place when I need a caffeinated beverage. You have always been there when I needed a quick fix no matter the time of day, and I've loved you dearly for years. 

However, in my recent months of trying to eat better and lose some weight I have had to make sacrifices. Unfortunately you have been one of them. :( Not only has your calorie content been bad, but it's been harder for me to justify the price as well. I couldn't look myself in the mirror anymore after sucking down a $4 [small] drink under 10 minutes, let alone the 250+ calories I consumed. 

I don't want this to sound harsh, but I've found myself a new summer love. Before the other day, Sonic (specifically Diet Cherry Limeade) and I are were just acquaintances from days gone by. Ever since our reintroduction though, I've fallen fast. My medium sized DCL has only 18 calories, and he tastes so delicious. He is sweet, but yet has a little bit of a kick. To top it off, he's half-price from 2-4p. That's only 18 calories for $0.97. I know, what you're going to say... you're sweet too, which is true, but you can't beat that price or calorie content. 

Please don't come to my bedroom window with your boom box in tow blaring 'In Your Eyes'. I don't know if I'll be able to stand it. Don't be too down hearted though. I'll be back for occasional visits. I would miss you too much. This is just a summer fling. You know I can't resist you in wintertime with your vanilla lattes. :)

I don't want you to look at this as me cheating on you. Just think of it as broadening my scope of beverages for the good of my waistline and my wallet. I do have a bridesmaid dress to fit into after all.

With Love and Fond Memories, M

The One Titled: Wes, Go Back Where You Came From! (That is if they'll take you back)

*UPDATED UPDATE* Just because I can't get enough of other people bashing Wes, here is Trista Sutter's [you know, the Original Bachelorette] take on last night's episode.

*UPDATE* I was blinded by my extreme hatred remiss earlier when I was typing this and didn't put in some of the best lines from Wes. Since I forgot here is a link to Chris Harrison's blog. He really is one funny guy. 

*ORIGINAL POST*

This week on the Bachelorette, Jillian took the four remaining guys to Spain for individual dates.

Kiptyn: Jill obviously feels a strong chemistry with Kip, but she is still struggling with whether or not he can open up to her more. I think she was a little put off by the fact he wasn't even close to the whole proposal thing. She likes him too much to let that get in the way at this point. He seems so quiet and not forward at all, which I think she's waiting for a little. Oh my word with the dancing. I was afraid he was going to bust the seam in his pants. He was dancing so awkward I think he was afraid of the same. I was very proud of Jill that she turned down the fantasy suite and Kip handled it well. How awkward were they in her room. He seemed uncomfortable to me or something. Maybe I'm the only one that picked up on that. Hmm...

Reid: He's adorable and dorky at times. :) They have so much fun together. Shopping was pretty funny. Apparently he's "Soy grande" aka "I'm Big" :) Hey, atleast he knew some spanish and was throwing it out there. Jill obviously was more confused what with her English/French/Sign language talk. :) They had an enjoyable picnic lunch on a bench, and again Jill turned down the fantasy room at their dinner. I love how they were keeping it real (no editing, even when Jill almost knocked over her wine glass). Reid and Jill definitely have fun together, but he's just slow at opening up. I think that was the key phrase tonight. Everyone seems slow to open up and share their true emotions. I guess none of them thought of that when they signed up for a fast-paced television show.  

[Side Note: How awkward were the waiters in this episode? They came in at awkward times and it was like everything stopped when they came on screen.]

Ed: Oh, Ed.  I'm so glad he's back. However, I'm super annoyed that all they seemed to be able to talk about was "all the time he's missed" (and by all the time we are referring to the two whole weeks he was gone). I am ready for them to quite dwelling on that and move on. Granted they did miss out on being able to meet his family, but they could always talk on the phone or via Skype. Hello people, we do live in a technologically advanced time now. Jill obviously cares for Ed, I mean look at how broken up she was when he left. She is clearly thrilled to have him back. As we all are Jill, as we all are.

Wes: To even type his name just makes me so angry. This guy is a dirty rotten scoundrel, snake, sorry excuse for a human being.... I could go on! I was dreading his date and you could tell from his body language and how he talked he was too. He was downright rude to Jill several times at the beginning of their day and I felt bad for her because things were going so bad. The thing that killed me is when they were having lunch and she's trying to have a serious conversation with him about what they would do if she chose him and he is avoiding all her questions. "That bird has no foot." What?!  Focus you idiot! I mean, all of America knows at this point that you aren't there for her, but if you are still expecting her to believe you are there for her you better do a better job at acting than that! Thankfully she picked up on his lack of interest in her and started asking "the tough questions" [you know the ones we've heard 20,000 times before this time] during dinner. How much were you excited that he slipped up and said "My girlfriend, uh... I mean ex-girlfriend"? I was down right giddy. I'm so glad he didn't try to recover from it and just stopped talking there. I can't believe that when he read that fantasy suite card he said "I think we should do it." ???? Were you not just sitting at the table talking to Jill while she cried and you said you had a girlfriend. Her response, "I think we should skip it." Smart girl. 

The two of them, along with the rest of America knew he was going home, so I don't know why the formality of a rose ceremony at this point, but whatever. 

The rose ceremony: If it wasn't obvious before who should go home before, it was then. He was sticking out like a sore thumb! Hello!!! You do not wear jeans to a rose ceremony, let alone a rose ceremony in Spain! I could not believe what he said to the guys! The look on their faces was priceless. They were as appalled as we were! I'm glad she chose Ed first, and then Reid, and poor Kip who was last was shakin' in his boots I'm sure. Thankfully she used the good sense God gave her and sent Wes packing. About time!!! If his actions and words in the limo didn't tell you how much a scum bag he really was you have problems.  He can go back where he came from with his stupid songs and girlfriend (if she stays with him). I hope to never see his face again. He should be ashamed of himself. I bet Jill feels like an idiot now that she ever liked him, but as she said it had to be in her time and no one else's when he went home. Her reasoning made sense, but it was still frustrating for us viewers at home.  

Now, the tough part comes. How to choose between the three remaining guys? I am not loving Kiptyn so much now, but any of them are fine with me at this point. I'm hoping for Ed, but I don't know how they'll get past the whole "You missed so much" portion of their relationship. And Reid is just so nice and funny I would be sad to see him go. I'm glad it's her making the decision and not me.   Also, I missed Chris Harrison a little bit this week. It seemed weird to not have him there to say "Gentlemen, Jill, this is the final rose of the night." and "Wes, say your goodbyes and get the heck out of here. In fact don't even say goodbye, just leave!" Okay, so I'm paraphrasing for Chris on that last one, but you know he would have been thinking that.  

*Sigh* I'm glad I got that off my chest. One more thing... I hope he's tarred and feathered when he gets back to his hometown. I hope he gets kicked out of his band, his truck breaks down, his girlfriend leaves him and his dog runs away. Atleast he'll have good material for his music career. Okay, now I'm done... I think.

Until.................

Summertime Playlist....

There are not many things I enjoy more than Summer, except for listening to good music during Summer.

It can be live music, radio boomin' while you're driving, itunes blaring in your headphones while you're working out, jammin' to tunes while poolside, the different combinations are endless...

Here are just a few of the tunes on my soundtrack for Summer....

Michael Buble- Everything [There's just something about his voice that makes the mood light]

Keith Urban- Sweet Thing [Keith screams Summer to me, although I love listening to him all year round.]

Taylor Swift- Crazier [I love her and this is a  good song for playing while you're swinging on the front porch unwinding after a long day--- that is if you have a swing, or a porch for that matter]

Beyonce- Single Ladies [This is just fun and a good workout song.]

Hillsong- Mighty to Save [Good worship song, also good for all year round.]

Sugarland- It Happens [Very enjoyable song and even more enjoyable that my sis learned all the words and can serenade me if ever asked. :)]

Watermark- The Glory of Your Name [I can just imagine an outdoor worship concert with this song.]

Lee Greenwood- God Bless the USA [I can not let a Summer pass me by without listening to this song atleast 10 times.] 

Chris Tomlin- God of This City [I first heard this song in a youtube video of Kris Allen leading worship at his church (One more reason to love that guy) and have fallen in love with it.]

Jason Mraz- I'm Yours [This is just a good beach-y song. Oh how I wish I was laying on a beach somewhere getting a tan.]

I know, my list is quite eclectic, but this is what I'm enjoying listening to right now. That's why they're called mixes. 

Until..............

Drunk as a Skunk

Do you know that saying? Well I'm not exactly sure how a skunk can be drunk, or what that saying even means, but I had an encounter with a drunk driver tonight and I hope to never encounter a "skunk" again. 

I can't really go into details like I normally do, due to the fact that I may be summoned to court or whatever, but let's just say I (along with my mom and dad) am lucky to not have been smashed head on by a drunkard. 

Moral of the story people.... Don't Drink and Drive, and for the love all that's sane, don't text and drive. Apparently he was doing that before he crashed too. Although he lied to us about being drunk, so who knows... 

Stay safe!

Until...............

Soup in Summer...

I don't know why, but I've been in the mood for soup and chili; pretty much all of the foods that you would make in the fall and winter. I'm not sure why, since we had a week solid of upper 80's/90 degree weather. 

I got a new cookbook the other day and have not even made it halfway through the book and

 have found a dozen recipes that I felt like I had to devour the second I read about them and a

 dozen or so more that I wanted to try. I ran to Walmart (my home away from home lately it seems) and picked up some ingredients to make a soup that sounded delish. It is called 'Sassy Salsa Pumpkin Soup', and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. I ate a bowl full for a late lunch and then took some to work with me. 

I've been on a healthy food/recipe kick lately. It's been going okay so far. The only issue I've discovered is that I've never dealt with some of these ingredients before. :/ Oh well, I'm learning things. What I really need to learn is motivation to work out everyday. That I don't quite have the hang of yet. I bet that would help me drop those extra 10 lbs I want to lose. You think? 

I'll let you know if there are anymore must eat recipes I run across. :)

Until..........

Mac'n it...

Well, I bought myself a laptop. A Macbook to be exact. I've been researching laptops for the past 2 weeks or so and finally settled on Apple's Mac. I had wanted a laptop for awhile and since my computer is really my parents that they bought so I could use for school, I thought it was time I bought my own. I did thorough research, as always [I can't even buy a song off of itunes without thoroughly researching reviews and lyrics.]

When I was pricing the Mac I saw that there was an educational deal that they were offering. Discount on computers and a free itouch for practically anyone related to the educational world. Well, I decided to investigate because after all I am a "lifelong learner" [so says my college professors over and over again]. I went back and forth, back and forth on whether or not to use the deal. I am after all going back to school. Sure not this year or maybe next, but I am eventually... I think. Well there wasn't any verification that you needed to provide if you bought online, but there was a possibility of them spot checking. I'm not sure what would happen if they found out you didn't qualify, but I wasn't willing to take the chance. My conscience won out and I didn't use the discount.

I also ended up paying a little extra to have it shipped sooner. I knew I would be too anxious to wait for long. What were a few extra dollars after the money I had just dropped on it already? My friend from work told me that when she ordered hers it ended up being shipped from China. China! Well, that would take forever! So I paid the extra shipping fee, and waited patiently for the notification that it had shipped. I finally got the email and do you know what it said? Shipment picked up. Location: Memphis, TN. What?! That state is a mere 7 hours away! A different state! Not even another country! I'd been bamboozled! Oh well... I'm glad I paid the extra shipping, because just the 4 short days just about did me in.

I actually got it yesterday, but I didn't even get to play with it until tonight. I worked last night and then came home to sleep so that I could meet my cousins for a mini-photo shoot for my cousin's twins. They are so adorable! 

I'm slowly getting the hang of all of the differences between a Mac and a normal PC. Anyone who has a Mac and has discovered short cuts and such are welcome to give me advice on the whole thing. :)

Well, I'm off to do some more research on the wonders of a Mac... [How many times have I said the word "Mac" in this post? Too many!]

Until..........

Naps are Not Over-rated

I love a good nap.

I went to bed at a fairly reasonable time and got up at a late morning hour. I had definitely gotten enough sleep. Or so I thought...

I was looking through a cookbook on the loveseat upstairs and wasn't even 10 pages in before my eyes closed. I don't think I even realized it either until my hand went lax and the book flipped shut. That jarred me awake for a few seconds and then I quickly drifted back into dreamland.

I should have known better. This loveseat is like my 'Nap Zone'. During my last semester of college and when I was trying to destress from studying for Boards I would take my book that I was reading at the time up to that loveseat and hunker down for some rest. It would never fail that I would doze off. There is something magical about that loveseat. [I heart it dearly.]

I am ashamed to say that I napped for 2+ hours and who knows when I would have woken up had my mom not called to tell me something. [Good ole mom! Always there to wake me from my slumber.] You're probably thinking, "Big deal. So you took a nap. It's not a crime." Well, you're right, it isn't. However, I had only been awake for two hours! When did I become one of those sleepy couch potatoes? Granted, I did take the dog for a walk the day before, and let me tell you it was not an easy task. Oddly enough the only muscles that hurt today were my gluteus maximus muscles. I think it was from leaning back and trying to compensate for her straining forward. Anyway, the point is, I know I'm not a lazy bum, it's just frustrating to need a nap after only being awake a few two short hours.

I must admit I felt pretty good right after I woke up, and then not even an hour later I felt tired again. It's like a viscious cycle! I did not give in to the temptation of my lovely nap zone again though. No siree, I did not! Instead I dropped on to my computer chair and wasted two mindless hours on the internet, reading blogs, checking facebook, replying to emails.... I should have read a book, but I can always do that tomorrow.

Until..........................