My "Luck" experiment-- will fate reward us?

Will and I are getting married on St. Patrick's Day---that's gotta be lucky, right?

So I'm going to do an experiment:  from now until Valentines Day  I'm going to buy one $1 scratch-off lotto ticket a week. That gives us 11 weeks (and a mere $11 investment) to see if I can win us a super Valentine's present: Whatever I win on the lotto tickets, will be used to buy cruise coupons for the honeymoon!

If I win $15-- I will get a Photo Coupon
If I win more than $15 but less than $20, I will buy Bar Credit
If I win more than $20, I will buy Funship Dollars
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BOOKING NO:  73WQ44 
STATEROOM:  R204

Photo coupon: (Gallery Credit)

http://www.carnival.com/BonVoyage/AddToCart.aspx?cat=Specialty+Items&pid=801

or Drink coupons (Bar Credit)

http://www.carnival.com/BonVoyage/AddToCart.aspx?cat=Specialty+Items&pid=BAR

or just general Funship Dollars that can be spent on anything (steakhouse, spa, photos, drinks, etc.)

http://www.carnival.com/BonVoyage/AddToCart.aspx?cat=giftcertificates&pid=FSD


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And if I don't win anything? Uhmmm.....I'll figure that out later. 
 
So please send me some good luck vibes--and I will post how we are doing each week! 
 
 

This Thanksgiving...I am Thankful for Indoor Plumbing

The night before Thanksgiving, there was a puddle in front of my house...but it had not rained.  And if you listened carefully, you could hear water running.  But where???  We cut the water off at the main supply and the meter was spinning like a penny slot machine! So Will, Jimmy and my Dad had the pain staking task of digging up the line and repairing the break. Will, bless his heart, did most of the work--but at least I now know even more than before that he is awesome husband material ;)

So-- have you ever had to cook Thanksgiving without water? Have you ever had to run to the neighbors to fill up water jugs, and to shower...and poop?  It sucks.
Thankfully, it was all repaired on Friday. Will worked his butt off on house projects all weekend.  If you are familiar with "Love Languages," my language is "acts of service" so he totally swooned me.

The rest of Thanksgiving weekend was very nice.  We spent time with family--both mine and his. I finally met more of Will's family--they were exactly as Will had described each of them so it was very comfortable and if you *have* to get some in-laws, I think I'm getting a pretty good bunch.
We also braved the middle of the night crazies for some Black Friday shopping, Will got some samples from a jeweler for me to start deciding on a wedding band (the pic in the collage is Spencer making fun of me oohing and aahing over the bling!) and we decorated and wrapped presents. 

Will also received his FIRST piece of mail here. I know-- that sounds cheesy...but it was fun to see his name and this address. Yes, it was just a piece of semi-junk mail where he signed up for a rewards card at TGIFridays but still...it came in the mail on Black Friday.... It was to TGIFridays and our honeymoon cruise leaves on a Friday... Coincidence?  yeah...totally. But I have nothing else to blog about since my dehydrated holiday evidently affected my ability to take family pictures and have a sense of humor!

Spawn of Gene Simmons?

Valerie, my Spam-loving buddy from Florida, was in town a few days ago for business and we managed to squeeze in an evening of shopping and dinner.  On the way out of the mall, I tried to grab a pic with my blackberry and (1) it was dark and foggy and (2) the flash blinded us so we weren't able to tell how the picture looked on my phone because we were seeing white spots from the flash. 
Anyway-We tried twice and I checked it when I got home and this is what I ended up with:

In all these years of being friends with Val, I had no idea she had a creepy tongue. Seriously-- maybe it wasn't white spots from the flash I was seeing-- maybe it was visions of hell because these pictures are damn near evil! 

Actually-- she reminds me of the Scream spoof the Wayans brother's did-- Scary Movie!

Haha-- She's probably going to kill me for posting these pics!

Despite how bad our pics turned out, we had a great evening together!

Missing my little guy

Every couple of hours I hear, "thump thump thump thump" as the dog runs up the stairs to Spencer's room to see if he is home yet.  He misses Spencer as much as I do!
Spencer is on a three day school field trip to Salter's Path. They have a packed agenda, mostly involving science-- including dissecting a squid. Spencer was really looking forward to the trip.
The only bad part was having to get him to the school at 6:15 am on a 35 degree Sunday morning. I am NOT a morning person--and to add salt to the open A.M. wound some jerk illegally parked behind me while I walked Spencer to the motor coach.  When I came back to my car, I had to wait for an additional 25 minutes for jerkface to come back and move his SUV.  I had asked some of the parents standing around and no one knew whose SUV it was.  I can't imagine existing in my own little world thinking it is totally okay to block people in (he had blocked three of us in)  and not even care! I was talking to a friend when I heard the car start up so I never got to see him walk up.  I was totally denied the sarcastic clapping or anything else to let him know I was pissed.
At least Spencer was very excited about going and although the house is really empty without him--I hope he is having fun and learning much!

Later Sunday, Mom and I met Will, his son and Will's Mom at High Point Theater to see Sander's Family Christmas and then out for dinner.  It was a wonderful play--we really enjoyed our afternoon!

Didn't Taste Simple to Me...

Last night I hosted a Tastefully Simple tasting party. It was so much fun--and I can't believe how much food I have left over.  We tasted so many things that my friends could barely (and some couldn't at all) sample the desserts.  Seriously--they couldn't take another nibble!
I wasn't sure how many "tasting" samples we would have so I made up a few treats, fingers sandwiches and a cheese tray as well.  That is what put us overboard....
We pretty much ate our way through the catalog-- I think we sampled about 20 products or so.  We were so miserable by the end that I am going to have another tasting this spring--haha!
So many friends showed up-- I ran out of seats!  We pulled the couch into the archway AND I needed the foldy-chairs we use during soccer games.  It was fun to have a bunch of friends over on a week night for a little hen party-- I highly recommend it!

Blended into a purrdddy shade of purple

I have to submit a picture for an upcoming team meeting at work.  We are a virtual team, most of us work from home, so video meetings are the only way we "see" each other. The picture needs to tell a little bit about ourselves and can be in the following categories: Childhood, Marriage, Christmas, Workspace, Pets or defining image--such as hobbies or enthusiasts.

I looked at the list and thought--
Childhood?  Nah--I would have to go to my parent's house, get a picture, scan it in...too much trouble.
Marriage? Oh Hell to the No. Perhaps a picture from my divorce party a couple of years ago??  Nah--not appropriate for work...even though half the pictures are with girls I work with!
Christmas?  has potential....
Workspace?  boring
Pets? Bowser and Inez-- could be interesting....
Hobbies?  Well I could use photography, scrapbooking, reading, etc.--lots to choose from!

I ended up using this:

That told a story nicely...and prepared everyone that I will be taking vacation in March.  Two birds---one stone. 

Speaking of my sweetie, Will sent me a text this morning telling me about a child at his son's school fighting stomach cancer.  The teachers and parents are getting together donations to raise money to help the child's family.  Will was able to get a personalized,autographed picture from Tom O'Brien (NC State head football coach) and Sidney Lowe (head basketball coach) signed a basketball and a poster and donated tickets to an upcoming game.

Now I know what you're thinking-- It's sad enough that the family is fighting this horrible disease and has surgery and treatment expenses and now Will goes and saturates them in horrible NC State stuff! 
True, yet Will promises me that in Raleigh there are some NC State fans and these gifts will be appreciated by the family. So...I am very proud of him and hope the donations are received with well wishes and prayers for health and happiness.

Tis the season....to covet.

Spencer wasn't feeling 100% today so he spent a great deal of time inside watching TV. 
And by watching TV, I mean he would pause the TV, rewind, and yell MOMMA- I WANT THIS!! to every commercial that came on!  He has already taken a red pen to every catalog that has come in the mail and circled his wish list items AND he has the toy inventories memorized at WalMart, Target, Kmart and ToysRUs. This is the same child that can't remember to put his shoes in the closet, but can rattle off 15 different types of Nerf guns in one breath.
Finally--after the 100th, "I want" today, I tried to guilt him by reminding him about why we celebrate Christmas and that giving is better than receiving and he should recognize that it isn't about toys. 
And not 5 minutes later, he called me back into the living room yet again to show me a commercial for a game called HedBanz and said, "I would like to get this for you Mom because I bet you would like to play this with me!"
:facepalm:

Veteran's Day

I gave my Dad an awesome Veteran's Day gift-- I took Mom away for the day.  HAHAH!!

Mom and I took Spencer to Chapel Hill on Veteran's Day because our little man wanted to do some early birthday shopping for himself.  He picked out a new sweatshirt, a couple of new T-shirts, a winter cap that looks like a football helmet, some toys, a soccer wrist wrap/bracelet thingy, and he chose both lunch and dinner--plus he snacked on doughnuts and icees!  It was "Spencer Day" in the fullest!
Mom and I snuck some time in at A Southern Season and Spencer even enjoyed his time there where he helped pick out gourmet goodies for the holidays!

Rock out with your Choc out!

My bff, Laura, of Mama Laura's Chocolates LLC was featured on tonight's WFMY News 2 special, "Made in the Triad, Holiday Edition."  Our viewing party consisted of going out for dinner (East Coast Wings) and coming back to her house to make fun voice over comments and goofy pictures of her TV appearance including but not limited to: the Vanna, the thinker, the rock star...and the always a classic laugh-at-the hairnet pose.

Thankfully, our children are too young to realize they should be embarrassed by our antics and played nicely, totally oblivious to the dementia that will probably be inherited.  Bless their hearts.

Attennnnnn--HUT!

Today was the Awards Assembly for the first nine weeks of school.  Spencer and IV both made straight A's, IV had attendance awards, Spencer had a Bulldog of the Month award, etc.--- of course we're all very proud of the boys.
Check out IV absolutely LOVING the spotlight while he was being called for recognition--- smirking, making faces, wiggling and goofing off.
And then there's my poor child ..... stiff as a new recruit at attention, avoiding all eye contact, and especially refusing to look at Mommy and the dreaded camera until the end of the program!

Size of My Crack

Isn't it interesting when you find out something about yourself that means absolutely nothin.  But still funny.
We were at my mom's house and Mom asked whose can of soda was on the kitchen counter-- Will picked it up, glanced at the top and matter of factly said-- "It is Cassandra's."

Huh?  How did he know?  I looked at it--and no lipstick was on it, so how?

Then he showed me something he has known for over a year that I did not.  I am a lazy-ass can opener.

Evidently, when I open a soda can, I barely crack it open and don't fully push the tab back-- and Will rams the thing all the way back. 
He's the soda yin to my can yang.

Dadburn Fluorescent Lights!!!

I appreciate my freedoms as an American.  My father is a veteran-- I am proud of the freedoms I can complain about...and this is going to be one of them:  I voted today.

If you are a local reader of my blog , you may want to close your browser now because there is a good possibility that I am getting ready to launch a complaint about your great-great Memaw....

I live in walking distance to the church in which I vote and I have voted at this location for 16 years.  It is always staffed by elderly volunteers.  I appreciate them volunteering their time, but there needs to be a decisive cut-off as to whom they allow to work on poll days.  My brother swears they take a van to the Alzheimer's ward of the local nursing home, load it up and let the person who has never seen a computer before have dibs on working the ballot table.  He might be right.

There was NO LINE.
NO ONE was in front of me. NO ONE was behind me. 
And it took 3 people, one phone call to headquarters and 20 minutes to find me in the computer.
They were holding my driver's license and voter registration card with the EXACT spelling of my name and address yet could not find me. 
Why?  20 minutes of typos.  Then they blamed the fluorescent lighting making it hard to read my license.
:sigh:

During the 20 minute wait, I got to sit in the voter quarantine area where other people got to stare at me and wonder what I did wrong.  I got out my blackberry and attempted to pass the time by playing brick-breaker but I was yelled at by someone 15 years older than Methuselah's grandma that cellphones are not permitted in the area. :another sigh:

Then...they FINALLY hand me the ballot.
I go to the little voter booth that was clearly built in 1974 by a 6th grade shop class.  I brace the wiggly thing with my knee and attempt to bubble in the ballot.  It soon dawns on me that 90% of the ballot is running unopposed.  :another sigh:

I strongly support voting-- even if it isn't to vote FOR a candidate but to vote AGAINST a candidate or to cancel out the vote of someone else.  So this vent isn't to dissuade voting. 

I guess I have two choices-- I can volunteer my own time or I can put up with it, right?  :another sigh:

Today I Stop...

A few years ago, when life turned me upside down, a friend gave me this picture.

Today, I sat at my desk and I looked at my various "to do" lists and realized how much stuff was on my agenda-- buying wedding bands, planning the wedding, honeymoon plans, cruise excursions, Spencer's birthday party, family trip to Disney, Thanksgiving, Christmas, house projects, work projects, Soccer stuff, etc. etc. etc. and I realized that I had happy stress.

Even though this poem has hung over my desk for three years, I think today was the first day I actually stopped, breathed deep, and got "it" on the level it was intended.


So, Cheers to happy stress, love, and to-do lists that make me smile and cry at the same time!