T.G.I.F.

Buffett was great! Not the best show I've been to, but still worth it. It's amazing how staying up two hours past my bedtime can make me uber sleepy. Ridiculous, I say.

On tap for the weekend:
1. Marathon shopping with Shelly
2. Catching up with Jay-ay-ay and celebrating Cash's birthday/law school completion
3. UNC vs. Miami with the fam
4. Carolyn's birthday dinner @ Vivace
5. Finishing New Moon

It's gonna be a busy one but sure to be full of good times with good friends!

Pitter Patter

That's the sound I hear right now. Actually, it's more of clump, clump, clump. Yep. That's right. It's bring your kid to work day. But, they're actually pretty cute even if I hate to admit it. The highlight thus far has been one employee walking by carrying his crying child telling her repeatedly, "it's called sharing, it's called sharing..."

On the flip side, I get to peace out at 3:00 today to head to Walnut Creek, blow out my flip flop and step on a pop top. Margaritaville awaits me, ya'll.

Status Update

My Facebook status reads:

Ashely is officially off the DL! Going for a run (or at least gonna try) at Lake Johnson today, playing softball tomorrow, Fins to the Left on Thursday, marathon shopping on Saturday, Ultimate on Sunday, back to the weights on Monday, hmmmm...what else?...

Yippee! I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am!

In other news, I went to Sam and Angela's wedding this weekend in Charlotte and visited with Jill and Michael while I was there. I keep forgetting to bring my camera in so maybe you'll get some pics this week. Maybe. I do have to say that Sam and Angela's wedding was one of the best services I've been to. I'm so happy for them!

Also, I have lost 5.2 lbs in five weeks! How about another yippee!

A letter to the makers of Claritin

To whom it may concern:

Thank you for producing that blue box of make-me-feel-better goodness. Every April, I approach my pharamcist with ID in hand, salivating over the pseudophedrine induced relief that is to come. My throat hurts, my eyes itch and I sneeze non-stop. Yet, one little pill and a glass of water and the fog begins to lift. And, while I'm a bit of a space cadet who can't really see past the layers of glossiness that being narced up comes with, it's okay because I'm no longer miserable.

Happy to be clear,

Ashely

Trauma

I used the bathroom at Wal-mart today. That's all I have to say about that.

South of the Border

Leslie and Doug are getting married June 5th in Mexico*. I searched our resort on Flickr today.

Ole!

*Never fear. #1 - We are going to the other side of the country from where the drug cartel stuff is going on. #2 - We purchased travel insurance. #3 - Lisa just went to Mexico and survived (she was our guinea pig). #4 - I'm already praying that God will protect us.

My Head Hurts

As part of my skinny girl efforts, I've decided to let go of the Coca-Cola and other sugary drinks that I love so dear when that 3:00 I need to get outta this cube feeling hits.

And, my bank statement the other day read as follows:
Starbucks 4.00
Starbucks 4.00
Starbucks 4.00
Starbucks 6.00 (got some coffee cake)
Wal-mart 12.00
Starbucks 4.00

Yea, so I'm laying off the sugar-free vanilla iced latte as well.

Today, I am suffering. My head is killing me from caffeine withdrawl.

Aye-ye-ya!

Any suggestions? - a clarification

I have a co-worker who doesn't like me very much and he says I have issues communicating. Maybe he's right? Here's an example of what I was going for with yesterday's post:

I saw this recipe for an awesome rainbow cake that I want to make. However, I don't want to make it for no reason. So, maybe one day, someone will have a fun birthday party or something that I can make it for.

But, in the mean time, how do I hang on to this post other than printing it out or bookmarking it in my IE? Does Google Reader or Blogger allow me to do that? I thought of saving the URLs somewhere electronically by categories (i.e. cake ideas, decorating ideas, recipe ideas, etc) but what if their site is taken down?

I'm gonna marinate on this for a bit. Let me know if you have any thoughts.

Any suggestions?

I am addicted to reading blogs. Especially blogs about decorating or blogs about crafts or blogs about pretty weddings or blogs about funny crap or blogs about parties or blogs about my friends who holler or blogs about my friends having babies or blogs about my friends with babies or blogs about my friends in other states.

And, while reading these blogs, I get some really great ideas that perhaps I can't use today or this year, but might be handy somewhere down the road. Does anyone have any great suggestions for how to bookmark these (other than creating a ridicously long list in my IE bookmark)? I thought maybe I should start a notebook or print them or something. But, I'm not sure if that'll work. Let me know what you think.

Watchin' the Weight

Three weeks ago, I embarked on a new mission. A mission that would take me to unknown frontiers such as not ordering two rolls at Sushi Blues and declining that cupcake in the work kitchen. That's right ya'll - I'm watchin' the weight. Big chunks of cellulite have taken over my body and I have concluded that I must be cleansed of them!

Weeks one and two resulted in a three pound loss. However, hunger has attacked with a vengeance and week three went not so well. As in you-loose-a-turn-do-not-collect-any-weight-loss-go-back-to-start. So, I guess I've come full circle and the journey begins...again.

The good thing is that I recognize where I messed up. I ate out too much this week. I didn't eat anything that was actually good for me. And, above all, I wasn't up in the gym a workin' on my fitness.

So, here we go. Back to start. It's a new day! I must move forward! And, I'll try to fill you, my reader, in more so that perhaps you can encourage, yell and help me get my act together! So, stay tuned! It's probably not going to be very fun, but I promise I'll make the best of it!

Gimme Five!

National Championships that is! Count 'em - '57, '82, '93, '05, '09!

Now below my friends, you will find my Tar! Heels! balloons. These balloons have shined as a beacon of light and hope in an ugly sea of red and gray over the past few weeks as March Madness ensued at MMC. They held their place high above my cube foreshadowing the events to come on that fateful night in Motown on April 6, 2009.


Here comes Caro-lina-lina!



Here I am perched in my chair at Tyler's cheezing about an early UNC lead with, of all things, a Wolf Dookie. My friend, Ashley, seems to think it's okay to cheer for multiple Division I schools. Not allowed friend. Pick a side and stick with it.

Here I am still cheezing about this great UNC lead with my friend Karen. We met almost ten years ago at UNC in Hinton James (the best dorm EV-AH) and have been friends ever since! It was fun to finally experience a national championship game in Chapel Hill with her!

HEELS WIN!

WE'RE #1!

Hark the Sound Ya'll!

“With the close of the football season of 1913 all eyes are now turned to basketball. It is a sport that is practically new with the University, having been in vogue here for only a few years, but one that is gaining ground.”
~The Tar Heel, December 11, 1913

I'll say! T-minus five hours until we're in Chapel Hill cheering on the #1 team in the nation. Bill Currie hit the nail on the head when he said "nobody ever gets over being a Tar Heel."

Let's Go Tar Heels!

Princess Uno

They might look sweet and innocent, but just wait until you pull a dragon card. Or, get stuck next to someone with three +4 cards! My friend Dave bought these a while back on sale somewhere and we couldn't really get the purpose behind the 'special' Princess Uno specific cards, so we made up our own rules. I mean you've got to make sense of the I card somehow.

Unfortunately for us, Dave is moving to PA this week and we're all going to miss him a lot. Sunday we had a cookout, wished him well and managed to get in a few final rounds of the Princess Uno. I hope the people of PA enjoy this card night past time as much as we have!

Blue Indian Birthday

Shelly delivered the exciting news yesterday!

Panic + Allman Bros = One super music filled Happy Birthday to me!

The Hype is Fo Real

I told you I was going to check it out. Little did I know...

Monday morning saw me waking up late and missing my date with Lifetime Fitness all because I have met a new man who kept me up until two in the morning fighting evil vampires and being ridiculously romantic and heroic. Now, I'm hooked on Edward Cullen and have started New Moon already.

And, like Heather, my Twilight friends and I have debated whether or not it's weird for a 30ish year old woman to wish she were back in high school and in love with a smokin' hot vampire. Yea, we're so not weird. Totally normal.


Alas, I must go and send an e-mail to my 17 year old sister instructing her to be prepared for a Twilight viewing party on my next visit home.

Musical Debut

My nephew Caleb made his musical debut recently with a moving rendition of 'Deep and Wide' with the Sunshine Choir at Galeed Baptist. It's the link fifth from the bottom when you click here. He's the kid in the striped shirt that takes off once his group hits the stage!

Watch his mom (i.e. my sista) belt it out by clicking on the link 'Lauren Clark' second from the bottom.

Break Dancing Bear

I love to read blogs and Oh Happy Day is one of my favorites. Jordan hired a break dancer to dress up as a bear for her husband's birthday surprise. If anyone wants to hire me a break dancing bear for my birthday, please do!

Taco Mexico

I just downed my leftover fajita quesadilla from yesterday's visit to Taco Mexico. Perhaps you've seen it? It's the slim shady orange building with the homemade sign and the boarded up window on 55 headed into downtown Apex. My first visit there resulted in me ordering their specialty - tacos, of course - and finding out later that I had eaten cow tongue since the menu was in Spanish and I couldn't read it. Who was to know that lengua was not similar to legume?

Yesterday, I was convinced to give it another go and I'm glad I did! Their salsa is outstanding and the fajita quesadilla was yummy in my tummy.

So, the next time you're headed into downtown Apex, I suggest you stop in!

I'm Gonna See What All the Hype is About

I started it last night and will let you know what I think.

Walkin' on Sunshine

And, don't it feel good!?

It's supposed to be GAW-JUS this weekend and I'm ready for it. I had surgery a little over a week ago and have been MIA. I'm feelin' better and ready to sit on the porch (catch up on my blog reading) and let the sun shine in this weekend!

Ya'll have a good one!

Photo via flickr.