Anything But Gray

We took the kids swimming and had a blast.
This despite the fact that the last thing I wanted to do in the world was put my too big butt in stupid bathing suit.

We got home and I hopped in the shower to detox. (I really, really hate chlorine…blech.) Then Zak left for the gym.
I was so tired and so just wanting to chill out on the computer that I told Thing 1 and Thing 2 that if they hurried up and went to bed RIGHT NOW they could go without brushing their teeth.
AND (oh yes…it gets worse)
Jaime had on some stretch pants and a tshirt. The pants she had worn to school but the tshirt was new. I put it on her to go to the pool. She asked if she could sleep in that.

I let her.
<gasp>

I have never, ever, in her 6 1/2 years of life, let her go to bed in her clothes.
Neither one of them…

I cannot believe I did that.

Bad, bad Mommy…or maybe lazy Mommy is more like it!
They'll survive, I'm sure.
I might not, but they'll be just fine.

<wink>

Every once in awhile I get, what I perceive, as little "signs" that tell me to stop and say a prayer of thanks for my husband and my marriage.

I just added IrishLuckyLass to my neighborhood and I just went and read a little bit of her blog. (I just finished updating our website and I should be rushing out the door to the office…what can I say…blogs suck me in…)
And I was reading about her having to go to court with her ex for child support issues. I have to read more..I'm not sure of her whole situation, but now I am intrigued and I like how she writes….Okay…anyway.
I have a couple of girlfriends that are having little or big issues with their spouses.

I, by the grace of God, do not have a lot of the problems these ladies complain about.

Now, don't get me wrong….Zak and I have our share of problems, we are not perfect…not even remotely close.
But what we are, is perfect for each other.
And sometimes it's easy and sometimes it's hard….but it's always worth it.
And today I am very, very thankful.
For him, for his love, for his help, for his laughter, his support and his genuine desire to make my life easier….

I am so fortunate and it's not something I take for granted.
My marriage means the world to me. It is the thing I am most proud of in my life. (Kids are a very, very close second.)
Our marriage has been so hard at times and a lot of work to keep going. And we both have worked hard at it and made sacrifices and compromises. But even still….I know luck has a hand in it too.

And when marriage and husband issues pop up all around me, I know that's when it's my sign to take a little extra moment to appreciate my marriage and my husband.
And it's also when I know I need to pull Zak aside for a moment and tell him that I recognize all he does for me and our family and our marriage and I appreciate him so much. (even though he does drive me crazy….but oh well, I drive him crazy too, so I guess we're even ha!!)

Lucky duck, indeed!

One of the hardest things about the whole "spygate" scandal with the Patriots was the lack of information from our team. I understand why they didn't want to feed into the media frenzy and just stay focused on the games, but it was getting really old, defending them without any information….finally Bill Belichick (the coach…in case you've been living under a rock…) talked about it….

Belichick breaks silence…

I've been tagged by one of my favorite people in the whole wide world….J!

A: The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.

B: Each player answers the questions about themselves.

C: At the end of the post, the player then tags 3 people and posts
their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment,
letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read
your blog.

5 things on my to-do list today:

1. Work. Reconcile apartment deposits and go to bank.

2. Write letter for my daycare provider

3. Laundry

4. try to ignore this horrid sinus cold I have.

5. grocery shop

What would I do if I were suddenly made a billionaire?

Oh my gosh….do you have all day? Pay off all my bills and those of my family and friends (mortgages included). Move back home and build a cute little subdivision, with a house for everyone I love that wants one. Give the people I love that aren't happy with their professional lives enough money for a "do over", so they can have a career that they really love.  Start an organizing business…go on a mad shopping spree….start some kind of volunteer birthday organization, so that people that don't have a lot get a good birthday…save some for me and Zak's 22nd anniversary, when we plan to renew our vows…. That's just the tip of the iceberg, I could go on and on.

3 of my bad habits:

1. smoking
2. coffee (I actually don't consider this bad, but I know everyone else does..lol)
3. not sticking to my good eating schedule.

5 places I have lived:

1. Boston, MA
2. Dorchester, MA
3. Pace, FL
4. Juneau, AK

5 jobs that I have had:

1. central supply in the hospital I was born in. (I just love that….)
2. office support in a travel agency
3. Realtor
4. coffee girl in a donut shop
5. Mommy!

5 things people don't know about me:

1. I constantly have to have something to drink with me.
   
2. I am afraid of the dark.
   
3. I love bacon, but hate bacon flavored anything.
   
4. I am addicted to suspense….it's like a drug.
5. I am a compulsive putterer.

 That was harder than I thought it would be!

I tag Kim, Joey and IrishLuckyLass  (who has already done this…is that cheating? I'm new to the tag thing….and she isn't in my neighborhood, but I keep meaning to add her! lol)

As pretty much everyone knows, we are planning on moving out of Alaska in June.
 
As much as Alaska has given us, as much as we absolutely adore our family, friends, coworkers, clients, acquaintances and familiar faces, we just aren't happy here. The weather is horrible, that is probably the biggest factor in wanting to move. It is too hard to get in and out of Juneau. It's too far removed from "the real world". And the small town feel..although with Zak being in real estate, we have benefited greatly from him knowing everyone, it is hard to feel like you have no escape.  There is a saying…"Living in a small town makes you feel famous." It is meant sarcastically but honestly, there is some truth to that. You can't go anywhere without seeing someone you know. And even worse, for me, is the fact that everyone knows Zak because he grew up here and being in real estate…he just knows everyone. I, however, do not know nearly the amount of people he does. So there are a whole hell of a lot of people that know who I am, because I am Zak's wife, but I have no freakin' clue who they are and THAT drives me crazy. A lot of times I can push it out of my head and not care, but in the back of my mind….I just always feel watched. And it's weird, because there is a definite comfort in the small town vibe, but having no way to get away from it..having no way to "escape" it makes me feel trapped and stuck and I hate it
 And before you think to yourself, that I am exaggerating, I will give you an example….this is just one of many.

Zak and I were out on our date night (Thursdays) and we went into the sex shop. We were just looking around, joking and laughing and just checking things out. We didn't buy anything and we left the shop. The next Monday, Zak gets a call from one of his clients who lives in Anchorage, which is an hour and a half PLANE RIDE away. She says "So I hear you were in the sex shop last Thursday." and starts to give him a hard time about it. Zak tells me about this conversation later and I am like.."Okay, that is IT. We are SO freakin' out of here. Now people in other friggin' CITIES are hearing about what we are doing??? What the HELL?!?!." It was kind of funny, but it really did irk me.
That's just unreal.
So you see…I am not exaggerating the everyone knows who you are point, at all.

So there's a bunch of reasons on why we want to leave. And the fact that I always, always, always have intended on going back home. When I got on that plane, on January 29th, 1991, I did not intend to be gone forever.  I love home. I love the weather, I love the people, I love how close it is to everything….I love it. Not to mention my family and friends that are back there.  And so we are finally going home. And I can't wait….

Today, we booked our uhaul and I almost had an anxiety attack.
That made it feel so real. It was the first definite thing we have done, to move. The first step….
And it still feels like a dream to me. Leaving here, living back there….it's very surreal and it's not quite sinking in yet.
Today, it hit. And it freaked me out….I felt so many things at once….elated, scared, sad, worried and relieved….all in one second. I calmed down and was just left with the feeling of disbelief all day and the thought, we are really going home.

I still won't truly believe it until we're on the way…..ha!

Kayla sent me this video and I literally got tears in my eyes.
This should be a requirement for all children!
It is just amazing!!!!
Talk about arming your kids….

Amazing!

J rocks….she got 'em and then gave them to me.
And can I just say I love when J and I do this…devour a song…..:-)
She's the only one that "gets" it, with Mariah and hip/hop and R&B music….and she is the same as me…
I adore this part of our relationship…..

Here they are…

Touch My Body

Mariah Carey – C. Tricky Stewart – Terius "The-Dream" Nash)

MC, you're the place to be
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah

I know that you've been waiting for it
I'm waiting too
In my imagination I'd be all up on you
I know you got that fever for me
Hundred and two
And boy I know I feel the same
My temperature's through the roof

If there's a camera up in here
Then it's gonna leave with me
When I do (I do)
If there's a camera up in here
Then I'd best not catch this flick
On YouTube (YouTube)
'Cause if you run your mouth and brag
About this secret rendezvous
I will hunt you down
'Cause baby I'm up in my bidness
Like a Wendy interview
But this is private
Between you and I

Touch my body
Put me on the floor
Wrestle me around
Play with me some more
Touch my body
Throw me on the bed
I just wanna make you feel
Like you never did.
Touch my body
Let me wrap my thighs
All around your waist
Just a little taste
Touch my body
Know you love my curves
Come on and give me what I deserve
And touch my body.

Boy you can put me on you
Like a brand new white tee
I'll hug your body tighter
Than my favorite jeans
I want you to caress me
Like a tropical breeze
And float away with you
In the Caribbean Sea

If there's a camera up in here
Then it's gonna leave with me
When I do (I do)
If there's a camera up in here
Then I'd best not catch this flick
On YouTube (YouTube)
'Cause if you run your mouth and brag
About this secret rendezvous
I will hunt you down
'Cause baby I'm up in my bidness
Like a Wendy interview
But this is private
Between you and I

Touch my body
Put me on the floor
Wrestle me around
Play with me some more
Touch my body
Throw me on the bed
I just wanna make you feel
Like you never did.
Touch my body
Let me wrap my thighs
All around your waist
Just a little taste
Touch my body
Know you love my curves
Come on and give me what I deserve
And touch my body.

Imma treat you like a teddy bear
You won't wanna go nowhere
In the lap of luxury
Baby just turn to me
You won't want for nothing boy
I will give you plenty
Touch my body

Touch my body
Put me on the floor
Wrestle me around
Play with me some more
Touch my body
Throw me on the bed
I just wanna make you feel
Like you never did.
Touch my body
Let me wrap my thighs
All around your waist
Just a little taste
Touch my body
Know you love my curves
Come on and give me what I deserve
And touch my body.

Oh yeah oh yeah oh yeah
Oh yeah oh yeah
Oh oh oh oh yeah
Touch my body..

freakin' LOVE this song….!!!
It's going to be one of my can listen to 5 thousand times and not get sick of it…

Love, love, love the chorus…
.

She's baaaack…..

Go listen…

Touch My Body

I'm still a little bummed about losing the Super Bowl.
But I just read an article and the dude made sense. (Joe Fitzgerald)
He made a point that put it all in perspective for me…
We played like crap. We played the absolute worst game we played ALL YEAR.
Everyone agrees on that. The Patriots did not play like the Patriots at the Super Bowl.
And even still…..
The Giants BARELY won.
They won by a miracle play….
And that makes me feel a lot whole lot better.

There is only one NFL team that I truly loathe. That I just cannot stand. And that's the Seahawks….
I can't even explain why. And JR loves them, they are his team….so you'd think that would make me like them at least a little…but nope. I hate that team. It's totally irrational. (In my defense, when they went to the Super Bowl, I did root for them. This whole freakin' town is Seahawks fan and I couldn't help but want them to win for this town! lol.)
Anyway, now I have a new team that I LOATHE.
The Giants.

Now Zak has always hated Eli Manning. He hates watching him play. But I've always had an affinity for the Giants because they are Jon Bon Jovi's favorite team. Yeah, well that's so freakin' over with.
I can honestly say that even if Jon Bon Jovi were standing in front of me talking football and talking about how his team won the Super Bowl, I would, beyond a shadow of a doubt, tell him to shut the fuck up and tell him his team got lucky.

And with that revelation, I am now completely convinced that this football thing has gotten way out of control.