An apple a day....

makes me want to scream! I know I have said this before but I can't stand to listen to people eat apples... they should be banned from the workplace or at least made to where you can only eat them outside!

So this past week was quite interesting and I am still exhausted to say the least... Sparklecity was rainy and cold for our conference and I was ready to head back to the armpit of the South and escape all the bad feelings for the city. The only ray of hope in the city that sparkles was the local dive where I ate dinner on Wednesday evening-- The Nu Way. Best burger in South Carolina in my opinion. Oh and I had never had fried mac n' cheese but it was definitely something I am glad I tried. Now, this week is full of salads to help lower my cholesterol after that indulgence... well except for this evening when I join my fellow Blue Hoser for our monthly bang bang shrimp fest and Wednesday when my Bible study celebrates Thanksgiving--this year I am in charge of the rolls. I am starting to think that people lie to me about liking my cooking... you can't mess up Sister Schubert's!!!!!!

Til next time...

Stolen, broken and saying never...

Ok, so for some reason the past few weeks I have heard numerous times the following three songs:
Stolen by Dashboard Confessional, Broken by Lifehouse, and Never Say Never, by The Fray. As soon as one of them comes on the radio or cycles through the shuffle on my iPod, it is like I am in a trance and can't do anything else but get lost in the music and the emotion of the song. Yesterday, I was at the gym and probably a good 45 minutes into the elliptical when Never Say Never came on and the next thing I knew, my eyes were closed and I was moving to the beat of the music. I thought my lungs were going to burst, not only from the exertion but also from the emotion that was rolling through me. If I was a hypochondriac, I would have thought I was dying because of the tightness in my chest. When the song ended, I realized I needed to slow down and recover before my time was up on the machine. I love that songs can evoke such emotion, especially in a very public place with lots of strangers around. I didn't care if anyone saw me with my eyes closed and I know I was mouthing the words to the song. I just let it take over me... and for a moment it took me back to the complete and utter exhilaration that I used to feel when I would ride out on the back 40 (back pasture for the horses at the farm) and just gallop full out and close my eyes and let the wind take me. No fear, no thoughts, just feeling the rhythm of the hoof beats as we moved together across the field. It is like nothing else... I miss it.

Tatoos and the Village

So life and work have been very busy... I went to DC & NYC to visit friends and had a blast. We saw a bride outside our hotel on the day we were leaving the city and it was so fun to see her dad drive up in a vintage white rolls royce to pick her up!

One of the many fun and random discussions had during our trip was while walking around the village and hanging out after dinner one night. Ben decided we would go find some fun which led us to a little cafe, we ordered wine and preseco and sat, people watched (and commented a LOT) and talked. So my favorite topic I chose was while wondering back through Washington Square Park, Ben decided he needed a 2 am slice of pizza, and Laura and I were waiting for him. For some reason, I looked over at her and asked if she ever got a tattoo, what would it be? Of course, we are too much alike and had our similar "Well... I would never get one but..." and I could have told you what she was going to say before it even left her mouth, "a ladybug." I don't remember what Ben chose but it was probably something like a superman tattoo or something like that... but then it was my turn to respond. I didn't even have to think, "I would get my monogram." I am still laughing now... oh to know the real Heather Ann....

Thunderstorms

Ok, so I have not been sleeping too well lately and part of it is my fault... well maybe all of it is my fault. I have really been into several things I am reading and they have been quite difficult to put down. However, I have just had a hard time winding down to go to sleep. And then last night... I made myself quit reading and go to bed early. I was just falling asleep when the big thunderstorm started. As I lay there praying for it to be over soon so I could actually get to sleep I started thinking about thunderstorms and being a kid again. I remember sitting in the window... who does that during thunder and lightning? apparently me... and counting the seconds in between the clap of thunder and the next lightning bolt. Someone once told me that if you counted the seconds in betweeen, you could tell how far away the storm was. The only thing was, I didn't know the formula! So, I would count the seconds and guess.

I am not really scared of storms and I still tell myself that it is God and the angels bowling... as my grandpa told me when we were little. But last night listening to the threatening sound and how loud and well really terrifying it sounded, it made me laugh harder at that notion. Then the nerd in me came out and I really wanted to research as to what thunder really is and what causes lightning... because apparently I wasn't paying attention that day in class...

HAJ

Recap... Vacay and missed time

Sorry for the long absence and no posts in a while... I threw a baby shower for the lil ML momma-to-be and then had a busy week of Jr League'n and then flew off to Memphis or as Lander calls it "The Midwest" for 11 days. I missed two episodes of the Bachelorette watchin' with the girls, played with Emma Sanders and traded fireworks for bubbles-- the only thing appropriate for a 19 month old, set up my parents new wireless network and all the trimmings of a new iMac, spent countless hours watching Wimbledon from the elliptical at the gym (and the sofa), ate and ate and ate, spent loads of time with my mom's sisters and cousins, and played in the pool, oh and let's not forget--- SHOPPED. All in all, it was sort of a vacation but good none the less.

Coming back to work was a bit hard, especially after getting in late last night and feeling as if I had just laid down when I woke up at 6-- I didn't even need the alarm! But I am tired today... and foodless so I have already eaten 2 meals out and will be eating dinner out as well-- but Tuesday evening traditions are important!! I did "watch" the missed Bachelorette episode from last night from my desk (I was on the plane). It was horrible to have to watch by myself. I had some many moments of "did you see that??" or "can you believe he said that??" with no one to share them with... but that didn't stop me from emailing my comments as I made them and sent them off to my Bachelorette Babes for their approval of my reaction. In the end I was so glad that Wes was gone and a bit embarrassed by his "diary of the departed." That was worse than the trucking guy or the girl who complained that her eggs were rotting (ewwwww)!

So, now we have a short week, a bachelorette (a for real one) party this weekend, and the beginning of the Twilight Book Club. I also have about a million things to do at the house and well decide if I am going to DC or NYC next weekend. I would love to do both... perhaps take the train up on Sat??? So fun! Well shall see...

I am so OVER Michael Jackson and cannot wait for the return to normalcy. Hopefully, the Today Show will be back to normal by the end of the week. I think it was put best by Ted Casablanca of E!News... "Are people mourning the Michael Jackson of 1989 or of 2009?" My point exactly... the crazies that love him today, love him for who he was in '89. At least Elvis will not be the only one with a "Graceland" and now we have a candlelight vigil to start looking forward to in his honor as well... gag me! However, if you are ever in Memphis in August, look for the candlelight vigil scheduled. It is great entertainment if you have never been.

Ok... so I better go get some work done. I am muy busy-- not muy grande like Reid (how I love Reid)!

Peace out!

Versatility

So... if you don't know by now, my friends and I really enjoy watching The Bachelorette (and The Bachelor when it is on). We gather together each Monday night ready to rehash anything from the previous week and wait to see who lost their change to continue to woo Jillian. We were sad to see Ed go but we took a vote and if we were in his shoes (and there were 9 other girls still in the running) we would have left also. We are tired of Wes and Jilli's inability to see through him but Chris Harrison hit the nail on the head reminding us that we have all been in that place where friends kept telling us to run the other way (umm if I weren't so ashamed I would totally drop he-who-must-not-be-named's name). So Mark got kicked to the curb but Chris also gave us some good insight into that in his blog-- thanks Chris. We truly believe that if we lived in LA and knew you, we would be friends.

So, we all had choice words when Fleiss showed us what is to come in the next few weeks in Bachelorettehood. We were not pleased... or really we were shocked. And appalled. His shock and awe tactic definitely worked on us. We are hoping that it is less shocking once it comes around... but we will see.

So, yesterday I was at the gym. Jamming out to Taylor Swift (p.s. if you haven't seen this... go watch it http://www.cmt.com/videos/misc/401599/thug-story.jhtml). I had just hit full stride when my cell phone blinked at me. I thought... missed call? Who is calling me now (it is rare for someone other than my mother whom I had just hung up with to call at this time of day)? I picked it up and saw that it was not a call but a new email. Not that it couldn't wait but I am a little OCD about email and so I checked it. My friend Ash had emailed in response to me sending out Chris' blog and some other Bachelorette day after info. She had her own recap/info to share and had me laughing out loud. So much so that I tripped, almost lost the iPhone (would have been a travesty), pulled the headphones out of my ears, and gracefully lept back into stride, putting it all off like, "oh I meant to do that." Not only was I unaware that my music was up super loud but not only had everyone around me heard me laugh out loud but i might have let slip or two an actual note as I like to lip sing while running. I am not sure how all of these things are accomplished at once but that is probably why I am so out of breath when I finish and was setting so profusely yesterday that one of our guy friends had to do a double take to see that yes, behind the RayBan's it was me.

I am off to the gym again, let's hope there is no rematch with the treadmill...

Things that should not be advertised....

Ok, so there are some commercials and advertisements out there that should never see the light of day.

(1) Any Olive Garden commercial-- they are awful!
(2) Any pills to help you with sexual activity... they seem to always come on at inopportune moments
(3) Cigarettes... bad, bad, bad for you
(4) Condoms... bad, bad... I mean come on, they are ALL way too sexually explicit!
(5) Any commercial that involves someone that works for/in/at the place of business and singing about it... anyone remember "the mini mall" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ3oHpup-pk
(6) Preparation H commercials... we all know what it does, it removes the puffiness around your eyes for beauty contestants!
(7) Adult diapers... not even going to go there... honestly, if you need them, you will find out what brands they have
(8) Viagra or any of that junk. Let's be honest if you need it, you are going to find out where you can get it. Plus, it seems to be getting plugged in different shows... stay tuned to the Bachelorette apparently!

Got any to add???